Fiers, HRs lead Athletics past White Sox

[July 13, 2019]    Mike Fiers tossed 7 2/3 shutout innings and Oakland slugged three solo homers as the Athletics posted a 5-1 victory over the visiting Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

Athletics starting pitcher Mike Fiers (50) pitches against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Ramon Laureano, Jurickson Profar and Mark Canha all went deep against Chicago right-hander Ivan Nova (4-8) as Oakland won for the 15th time in the past 20 games.

The right-handed Fiers (9-3) struck out four and allowed eight hits and one walk while winning his seventh consecutive decision.

Fiers was closing in on eight scoreless innings before being involved in an eight-pitch battle with James McCann with one on and two out. When McCann coaxed Fiers' only walk of the game, Athletics manager Bob Melvin emerged from the dugout with the hook.

Yusmeiro Petit retired Jon Jay on a grounder to end the frame but fellow right-hander Joakim Soria gave up two hits in the ninth -- including Leury Garcia's two-out single to center -- to lose the shutout.

Right-hander Liam Hendriks entered and struck out Yoan Moncada for his sixth save.

Canha, Laureano, Matt Chapman and Marcus Semien had two hits apiece as the Athletics racked up 13.

The Athletics have hit at least one homer in 13 straight games.

Moncada went 3-for-5 to increase his hitting streak to 14 games.

Chicago has dropped six straight games in Oakland.

Nova allowed four runs and 10 hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked none.

Oakland got on the board in the first inning with three consecutive one-out singles. Chapman and Matt Olson had the first two before Khris Davis delivered the run-scoring hit to center.

Laureano came up with one out in the second inning and hammered a 2-2 cutter into the second deck in left. The 431-foot blast was Laureano's 17th of the season.

Two pitches later, Profar belted a changeup from Nova just inside the right field foul pole to make it 3-0. The homer, which traveled 398 feet, was Profar's 11th.

Canha slugged Oakland's third homer of the game with one out in the sixth, when he sent a 1-2 curveball 394 feet over the fence in center, his 13th of the season.

The Athletics made it 5-0 in the seventh when Josh Phegley led off with a single off right-hander Juan Minaya, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a triple to left-center by Semien.

--Field Level Media

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