Ryan Mountcastle kicks off a 5-run 10th as Orioles beat A’s 7-2

By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Mountcastle singled in Adam Frazier with the go-ahead run as part of a five-run 10th inning, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Oakland Athletics 7-2 on Saturday night.

Austin Hays and James McCann homered in the fourth inning for the Orioles, who had been held hitless for the first three innings.

“Really it was up and down the lineup, guys having quality at-bats, quality at-bats,” said McCann, who had three RBIs. “That’s just kind of the way this team’s been operating all season long.”

Frazier began the 10th at second base and advanced to third when Adrián Martínez (0-1) threw a wild pitch. Mountcastle’s hit bounced up the middle into center field as Frazier scored for the AL-leading Orioles. Jordan Westburg added a sacrifice fly and another run was scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by Hays. McCann followed with a two-run single.

“Just total team offense there in that inning,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “We weren’t having the best luck. Our pitching won us the game.”

Baltimore’s bullpen was strong all night, allowing two hits and one run over the final five innings. Felix Bautista (8-2), the fourth of five relievers used by Hyde, retired three batters for the win.

Oakland loaded the bases against Jacob Webb with no outs in the bottom of the 10th before the right-hander retired the next three batters by swinging strikeout.

Aledmys Díaz homered twice for the last-place A’s, who have lost nine of 11 and own the worst home winning percentage (.295) in the majors.

In addition to homering, McCann also ended Esteury Ruiz’s streak of eight consecutive steals when he threw out the A’s rookie trying to swipe second base in the first inning.

“You cannot see one better than that,” Hyde said. “That was a big league catch and throw.”

McCann knew Ruiz would be running at some point and was ready when he did.

“He’s incredible,” McCann said of Ruiz. “Watching from afar, seeing him steal base after base after base … a guy like that with the speed he has, you know he’s going to try and run at some point. You just don’t know when.”

IT’S STUCK

McCann’s first home run since June 4 was off A’s starter Ken Waldichuk in the fourth and came eight pitches after Hays connected for his 11th home run when the ball got stuck in the left field foul pole screen.

“It wasn’t until the game ended that I saw that,” said Orioles starter and former A’s pitcher Cole Irvin. “That was absolutely wild. Never seen it before.”

FAMILIAR FOE

Former A’s pitcher Shintaro Fujinami allowed one hit in one inning when Diaz connected for his second home run of the night. The 6-foot-6 Japanese reliever, who signed with Oakland in January after spending 10 seasons with the Central League’s Hanshin Tigers, was acquired by the Orioles in a trade for a minor leaguer on June 19.

STARTING OFF

Both starting pitchers had uneven outings and didn’t factor in the decision. Irvin of the Orioles, who led the A’s in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts in 2022 before being traded to Baltimore in January, allowed four hits in five innings against his former ballclub and pitched with runners on base in every inning but his last.

“I know this ballpark well, I made 62 starts in that uniform,” Irvin said. “I know this field, how this ballpark plays. I think the motivation was they hit me around the last time I faced them.”

Waldichuk had seven strikeouts and allowed four hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: Placed OF Aaron Hicks on the 10-day injured list with lower back pain. The move is retroactive to Aug. 16. OF Ryan McKenna was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. Additionally, RHP Mychal Givens was placed on unconditional waivers.

UP NEXT

Orioles RHP Kyle Bradish (7-6, 3.18 ERA) starts the series finale Sunday in Oakland. Bradish has never faced the A’s previously but is unbeaten with four wins in nine career appearances against AL West teams. LHP JP Sears (2-9, 4.27) will make his team-leading 25th start for Oakland. Sears has two wins in four career appearances against Baltimore.

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