TODD KARPOVICH
Associated Press
BALTIMORE (AP) — Kevin Gausman earned his first win as a starter while Adam Jones and David Lough each homered, leading the Baltimore Orioles over the Oakland Athletics 6-3 Saturday night.
Called up from Triple-A Norfolk earlier in the day, Gausman (1-1) set career highs by pitching seven innings and striking out six.
Gausman, the fourth overall pick in the 2012 draft, gave up one run and four hits and walked one. He had made six previous starts in the majors over two seasons.
Jones hit his ninth homer, a solo shot in the first. Lough, who entered the game batting just .184, hit his second homer.
Sonny Gray (6-2) allowed a season-high five runs on four hits and four walks in 5 1-3 innings, his shortest outing of the year.
Coco Crisp got three hits for Oakland. He connected in the third for his fourth home run, and extended his hitting streak to a season-high 11 games.
It was 1-all before Baltimore scored three times in the fifth to give Gausman a cushion. Lough drew a one-out walk and Caleb Joseph followed with a double, setting up RBI singles by Nick Markakis and Manny Machado.
The A’s threatened in the sixth when Alberto Callaspo and Eric Sogard led off with singles and advanced on a wild pitch. Gausman escaped by striking out Josh Donaldson and Brandon Moss.
After a walk to J.J. Hardy ended Gray’s night, former Orioles closer Jim Johnson entered and allowed a two-run homer to Lough on his second pitch that extended Baltimore’s lead 6-1. Johnson got only two outs, allowing two hits.
The A’s pulled to within 6-3 in the eighth when Brian Matusz allowed a walk to Sogard and a double to Crisp. Darren O’Day entered and gave up a two-run single to Kyle Blanks.
NOTES: Orioles RHP Miguel Gonzalez (strained right oblique) will throw a bullpen session Sunday or Monday and then could possibly begin a rehab start later in the week. … Baltimore optioned LHP Tim Berry to Double-A Bowie to make room for Gausman. …Oakland has now homered in 15 consecutive games, eight games shy of the club record. . … Oakland LHP Scott Kazmir (6-2, 2.40 ERA) faces Orioles’ RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (2-6, 4.39) in the series finale. … Johnson faced his former team for the first time and drew a mixed reaction from the sold-out crowd.
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