A’s rally, snap losing streak by beating Diamondbacks in series opener

By JACK THOMPSON | Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Zack Gelof tripled to key a three-run eighth and the Oakland Athletics snapped a five-game losing streak, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-4 on Friday night.

The A’s also halted an 11-game road losing streak. They hadn’t won away from home since June 1 in Atlanta and had lost 15 of their previous 18 games overall.

“Overall it was a great game,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “We’ve hit a lot of home runs as an offense, but we haven’t built innings that way; walks, couple hits, it’s nice to see.”

Gelof was 3 for 4 with the RBI triple, a walk and a stolen base.

“The month of June has been a lot better for him and he’s finishing up really strongly,” Kotsay said.

Gelof’s average went from .196 to .205 on Friday. He hit .267 with 14 homers as a rookie second baseman last season, but has found it tougher in his second year.

“All around we put it together,” he said. “It just feels good to win on the road.”

Tyler Soderstrom’s home run off Ryan Thompson (3-3) leading off the eighth tied it at 4. Thompson then walked rookie Armando Alvarez before Gelof hit a line drive to the gap in right-center, scoring the go-ahead run. Max Schuemann followed by chopping a single over the head of shortstop Geraldo Perdomo to make it 6-4.

The A’s hit three homers in the ninth off Brandon Hughes to put it out of reach. Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers went back-to-back, each for their 15th homers, of the season and Daz Cameron hit his third.

Scott Alexander (1-2) gave up a tie-breaking single to Ketel Marte in the seventh, but picked up the victory. Mason Miller, in a non-save situation, struck out two in the ninth to preserve the win.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit his 11th homer leading off the sixth for Arizona off JP Sears.

Arizona has lost three straight and is 1-3 on its homestand.

Diamondbacks starter Slade Cecconi threw 88 pitches in four innings, allowing three runs. He struck out seven and walked two.

“We’ve got to pitch better,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “You can’t make assumptions because the Oakland A’s are here that we’re going to beat them three games. That’s a well-run team, they got a good manager with young players that are very enthusiastic.”

Sears went six innings for Oakland, allowing five hits and three runs. Only two hits came after the first inning; he walked one and struck out six.

Sears bounced back from his previous start against Minnesota, in which he pitched just 1 1/3 innings, giving up nine hits and eight runs and hitting three batters.

Before the game, Arizona called up RHP Humberto Castellanos from Triple-A Reno and sent down RHP Scott McGough.

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Lovullo said after the game that RHP Zac Gallen will be activated from the injured list. Gallen (5-4, 3.12 ERA) has been sidelined with a right hamstring strain since he left one batter into a May 30 start against the New York Mets. Oakland’s starter will be LHP Hogan Harris (1-1, 2.72).