Athletics at Orioles
The Oakland Athletics have found a solution to their early-season woes away from home by feasting on the beleaguered pitching staff of the Baltimore Orioles. After pounding the Orioles into submission for a second consecutive day, the Athletics will try to make it three straight wins in the finale of a four-game set on Thursday afternoon at Camden Yards.
Khris Davis homered twice to boost his season total to seven and drove in four runs as Oakland left the yard five times in a 10-3 rout Wednesday night. Matt Chapman had his second three-hit game of the series with a homer and two doubles for the A's, who piled up 27 hits and outscored Baltimore 23-5 in the last two games. Trey Mancini continued his strong start for the Orioles, reaching base in every game after clubbing his sixth homer of the year. Chris Davis flied out as a pinch hitter Wednesday to tie a major league record by going hitless in 57 consecutive plate appearances.
TV: 12:35 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Aaron Brooks (1-1, 4.09 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Dylan Bundy (0-0, 7.36)
Brooks, who prior to this season had not made a start since 2015, picked up the victory in his season debut with six stellar innings, blanking defending World Series champion Boston on two hits while striking out six. The 28-year-old took a step back last time out and was tagged with the loss at Houston, giving up five runs on nine hits and surrendering a pair of homers over five innings. Catcher Jesus Sucre has a double in two at-bats against Brooks.
Bundy lost 16 games last season and is not giving much reason for optimism in his first two starts, failing to make it through the fourth inning in each. He gave up three runs on two hits and five walks in his season debut at Yankee Stadium and also went 3 2/3 innings in a rematch versus the Yankees, coughing up a pair of homers while allowing three runs on six hits. Khris Davis is 4-for-10 with a homer off Bundy, who beat Oakland last season with six innings of two-run ball.
EXTRA BASES
1. Athletics 2B Chad Pinder is 7-for-14 in the past four games and SS Jurickson Profar is 6-for-12 with two homers and seven RBIs in the series.
2. Orioles 2B Jonathan Villar had his nine-game hitting streak snapped in Wednesday's loss.
3. Oakland is nearing a minor-league deal with RH Edwin Jackson, according to multiple media outlets.