OAKLAND, Calif (AP) — Albert Suárez matched a season best with six strikeouts over six sharp innings and won back-to-back outings for the first time this season, pitching the Baltimore Orioles past the Oakland Athletics 3-2 on Friday night.
The right-hander (5-2) surrendered Miguel Andujar’s first-inning home run but settled in to hold down an A’s lineup coming off consecutive 5-0 shutouts and a series sweep of the Los Angeles Angels.
Coming off his first quality start of the season, Suárez allowed two runs on four hits and walked one as the Orioles won for the seventh time in nine games following a five-game losing streak. He spent the 2016-17 seasons with San Francisco, so it almost felt like coming home.
“It’s fun. Yesterday when we went (by) the stadium I was like ‘Wow, that was like my last home,’” he said. “Being back here is something that brings a lot of memories, a lot of good memories. I’m happy.”
Craig Kimbrel pitched a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts for his 22nd save to finish the 2-hour, 28-minute game in front of an announced crowd of 9,654.
Baltimore is now 56-32 and joined four previous Orioles teams to win at least 56 of their initial 88 games and are the first to do so since 1979.
Austin Hays hit an RBI double in the second and Adley Rutschman drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning. Hays doubled again in the third and added a sixth-inning single for his second three-hit game of the year — on his 29th birthday.
“Haysie swung the bat great,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We had traffic. That game should have been blown open early in the game.”
Baltimore went ahead in the first after Gunnar Henderson’s leadoff single. He advanced on a groundout then stole third before scoring an unearned run when catcher Shea Langeliers made a low throw trying to catch him and it got past third baseman Brett Harris for an error.
Andujar tied it in the bottom half with a solo home run and Langeliers connected for his 16th homer in the seventh. But Oakland didn’t manage much against Suárez.
“He did a really good job tunneling and mixing his pitches and kept us off balance,” Langeliers said. “Obviously, he’s got good numbers and he’s been having a good year.”
Oakland’s pitchers have now gone six straight games without giving up a home run. The Orioles lead the majors with 142.
A’s lefty Hogan Harris (1-3) was tagged for three runs — two earned — on five hits over five innings. He struck out four and walked three.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: 1B Ryan Mountcastle returned to the lineup after sitting Sunday’s finale at Seattle. He was sidelined by an illness for a couple of days last week.
Athletics: RHP Ross Stripling (strained pitching elbow) and RHP Paul Blackburn, dealing with a stress reaction in his right foot, will each throw bullpen sessions Saturday then report to Class-A Stockton to pitch on Tuesday. If all goes well they would join Triple-A Las Vegas next Sunday.
UP NEXT
LHP Cade Povich (1-2, 4.05 ERA) pitches Saturday for the Orioles against A’s RHP Luis Medina (1-3, 4.80).
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