Drew’s homer helps A’s past O’s

Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics have had a different star for just about every monumental win they’ve had this season.

Shortstop Stephen Drew became the latest — doing it at the plate and in the field.

Drew homered and made a pair of big defensive plays to back Jarrod Parker, and the A’s beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Saturday night to pull within two games of division-leading Texas.

“It’s kind of crazy how this team works sometimes,” Drew said. “It’s a good feeling to have, anybody, anytime. It works out well.”

It definitely did against Baltimore.

Drew’s home run was the first of four hits in the third inning off Baltimore starter Zach Britton and sparked a five-run outburst for Oakland. It’s Drew’s second home run as a member of the A’s and fourth overall.

The A’s shortstop then made the first of his two defensive gems when he threw out Adam Jones trying to score from first on Chris Davis’ double in the fourth.

Jones reached on a leadoff infield single and Davis followed with a double down the left field line. Jones kept running as Yoenis Cespedes retrieved the ball and threw it to Drew, who turned and made the relay throw home just in time to nab Jones as he was attempting to slide past catcher Derek Norris.

“He’s been a good fit for us,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Everything has to work on a play like that. If you’re a little on that play you don’t get the runner, and that was a big play in the game for us not to give up a run.”

Drew later ran down Endy Chavez’s grounder behind second base and flipped the ball from his glove to Adam Rosales to force out Mark Reynolds.

Nate McLouth homered for Baltimore, which dropped one game behind the New York Yankees in the AL East.

“No one in this clubhouse is down,” Jones said. “The last few days we’ve been beat. I don’t think we’ve beaten ourselves. We just can’t score enough runs.”

Chris Carter had a two-run double as part of the third inning while Josh Reddick added two hits and an RBI for Oakland, which has won two straight over Baltimore to clinch the season series between the top two teams in the AL wild card race.

The A’s aren’t giving up on the division either.

The win, coupled with the Rangers loss to Seattle, moved Oakland within two games of Texas. It’s the closest the A’s have been since April 13.

They’re also a season-high 23 games over .500. and have already won 10 more games than they did last year.

Parker (11-8) allowed two runs and seven hits over seven innings to win back-to-back starts for the first time since mid-July. The A’s rookie right-hander struck out five, walked one and retired 11 of the final 13 batters he faced.

“Early on I was kind of battling myself a little bit and then I was able to kind of get over that and pitch better,” Parker said. “They’re an aggressive team and I got some early contact on some off-speed pitches and that helped out.”

Sean Doolittle pitched a scoreless eighth and Grant Balfour worked the ninth for his 19th save.

Baltimore took an early 2-0 but couldn’t make it hold up.

The Orioles managed only two hits after the fourth inning and stranded a pair of baserunners in the ninth when Balfour got Chavez to ground to third for the final out.

Parker got the Orioles to ground into a double play in the first but his error on a pickoff attempt in the second led to Baltimore’s first run.

Jones singled and was leading off the bag when Parker’s throw to Carter at first base went in the dirt and rolled almost to the Orioles bullpen. Jones raced to third then scored on Reynolds’ double to left.

McLouth made it 2-0 with his third homer of the season, only the ninth home run allowed this season by Parker.

Britton (5-3) didn’t allow a hit until the third when the A’s scored five runs.

Drew’s solo home run started the outburst. After Rosales grounded out, Coco Crisp walked before Britton hit Jonny Gomes on his left elbow to put runners at first and second.

Reddick and Cespedes both followed with RBI singles, and Carter doubled both men home to make it 5-2.

“The ball was running all over the place on me that inning,” Britton said. “I didn’t make any adjustment. I couldn’t make a pitch to get out of that inning.”

Britton gave up five earned runs for the second consecutive start. The left-hander had four strikeouts and four walks.

WHITE SOX 5, TWINS 3

MINNEAPOLIS — Francisco Liriano took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Paul Konerko homered and drove in three runs, and the White Sox stayed on top of the AL Central.

The White Sox entered the day with a one game lead over Detroit in the Central.

Liriano (6-11) was tremendous against his former team, allowing only a two-out homer in the seventh to Trevor Plouffe. He walked two, hit a batter and struck out nine in seven innings.

Samuel Deduno (6-4) struggled with his control from the start, throwing only 40 of his 86 pitches for strikes.

TIGERS 5, INDIANS 3

CLEVELAND — Anibal Sanchez took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Detroit beat the Indians despite losing a run on an appeal play.

Sanchez (3-5) struck out seven over 6 2-3 innings as Detroit stayed one game behind the first place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central with its fourth straight win.

Carlos Santana spoiled Sanchez’s no-hit bid with a two-out triple in the seventh, but Cleveland was officially eliminated from the playoffs after falling to 16-45 since the All-Star break. Starter Justin Masterson (11-14) took the loss.

YANKEES 5, RAYS 3

NEW YORK — Ivan Nova was sharp in his return from a shoulder injury and the Yankees got back-to-back home runs from Curtis Granderson and Eduardo Nunez in a victory over Tampa Bay.

Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez each had an RBI single for the Yankees.

Evan Longoria homered for the third-place Rays, who fell four games behind New York.

Nova (12-7) missed a little more than three weeks with inflammation in his right rotator cuff. Making his first start since Aug. 21, he was charged with two runs and four hits in six-plus innings. He struck out eight and walked two.

James Shields (14-9) allowed four runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings.

RED SOX 3, BLUE JAYS 2

TORONTO — Pedro Ciriaco drove in the tiebreaking run with a two-out double in the ninth inning, Cody Ross hit a solo homer and the Red Sox won their second straight, beating the Blue Jays.

After stranding runners at third base three times in the previous five innings, the Red Sox finally broke through in the ninth. Jarrod Saltalamacchia led off with a double against Steve Delabar (4-2), Ryan Lavarnway struck out and Saltalamacchia moved to third on Mike Aviles’ flyball. Ciriaco followed with a double to left.

Craig Breslow (1-0 AL, 3-0) worked one inning for the win and Andrew Bailey finished for his fourth save in five chances.

MARINERS 8, RANGERS 6

ARLINGTON, Texas — Justin Smoak homered in the eighth and drove in a run in the ninth.

Smoak had three hits, two runs and three RBIs.

ROYALS 3, ANGELS 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ernesto Frieri needed just four pitches to ruin a spectacular start by Zack Greinke, giving up two home runs in the ninth inning as the Royals rallied to hand the playoff-contending Angels a stunning loss.

Frieri (3-1) replaced Greinke with one out in the ninth after Alex Gordon singled. Billy Butler homered to center on Frieri’s first pitch to tie the score. Three pitches later, Salvador Perez homered off the left-field pole for his first career walkoff homer.

Braves best Nats to move closer in East

ATLANTA — Pinch-runner Jeff Baker scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning when reliever Ryan Mattheus hit Andrelton Simmons’ uniform with a bases-loaded pitch that helped the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 5-4.

Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman homered for the Braves, who have won the first two games in the series and nine of 13.

Atlanta moved within 6½ games of first-place Washington in the NL East. The Braves began the game with a seven-game lead over third-place Los Angeles in the NL wild-card race.

Braves closer Craig Kimbrel earned his 36th save in 39 ties after striking out the side.

Eric O’Flaherty (3-0) faced the minimum in the eighth for Atlanta, extending his scoreless innings streak to 19 1-3 innings, a span of 22 games.

Mattheus (5-2) allowed one hit, one walk, two walks and no strikeouts.

PIRATES 7, CUBS 6

CHICAGO — Andrew McCutchen homered and reached base four times, and the Pirates held off a late rally to snap a seven-game losing streak with a win over the Cubs.

Wandy Rodriguez (11-13) held Chicago to three runs — one earned — in helping the Pirates stop their free-fall in the NL playoff race. Pittsburgh had lost 17 of 22, yet was just three games behind St. Louis for the second NL wild-card slot entering the day.

MARLINS 6, REDS 4

MIAMI — Carlos Lee homered and drove in three runs to help the Marlins beat the Reds.

GIANTS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2

PHOENIX — Buster Posey had a two-run home run in the fifth to help the Giants beat the Diamondbacks.

Barry Zito scattered six hits and one run over 6 2-3 innings for the Giants, who have won four straight and 22 of their past 32. Zito (12-8) walked one and struck out four. Sergio Romo pitched the final 1 1-3 for his 11th save.

ASTROS 5, PHILLIES 0

HOUSTON — Dallas Keuchel pitched five-hit ball into the sixth inning and the Astros beat the Phillies and avoided their 100th loss of the season.

BREWERS 9, METS 6

MILWAUKEE — Rickie Weeks hit a two-run homer during a five-run fourth inning to lift the Brewers to a win over the Mets.

Trailing 4-1 in the fourth the Brewers rallied for five runs to win for the 19th time in 25 games and stay in the hunt for a wild card. The Mets lost for the ninth time in 11 games.

DODGERS 4, CARDINALS 3

LOS ANGELES — Luis Cruz came up with his second clutch hit in two nights, a tying two-out RBI double in the ninth inning, and pinch-hitter Juan Rivera followed with a run-scoring single.

Jason Motte (4-5) came in trying to protect a 3-2 lead for Jaime Garcia and retired his first two batters. But Andre Ethier kept the Dodgers alive with a single and pinch-runner Dee Gordon stole second before Cruz drove him in with a drive that center fielder Jon Jay barely missed on a diving attempt in front of the warning track.

PADRES 4, ROCKIES 3

SAN DIEGO — Rookie Casey Kelly carried a shutout into the seventh inning and Jesus Guzman hit a three-run homer.