by Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland Athletics, who had scored just one run and had but nine hits in their last two games, snapped out of their collective slump and battered Dodger pitching for 16 runs and 21 hits to earn a split of the two-game series.

The A’s were playing by National League rules as they were able to score early and often as they showed that when they are hitting as they did Wednesday night, they can be a formidable opponent.

The A’s scored twice in the first inning. Mark Canha singled with two out. Khris Davis, playing left field, hit an opposite-field dinger to put the A’s in the lead 2-0. For Davis, it was his second big fly of the year and the first since opening day. The Dodgers got one back in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to one.

The A’s scored five times in the top of the fourth. The Dodgers countered with a run in their half of the inning, but the A’s were rolling at this point 7-2. The A’s scored nine more runs in the last four innings of the game to ice the win. LA scored two in the sixth and one each in the eighth and ninth.

Game notes- Daniel Mengden went five innings and allowed 4 runs, 3 earned, 7 hits, 5 strikeouts and no walks as he won his first game of the campaign and improved to 1-2. Dodger starter lefty Alex Wood’s line was 3, and 2/3rds innings pitched, and he gave up 7 runs on 7 hits. He also struck out five and did not issue a walk.

Hitting stars for Oakland were Marcus Semien, Matt Olson, Khris Davis, Matt Chapman, Jonathan Lucroy, Jed Lowrie, and Daniel Mengden. Semien was 2-for-5, and he had 4 RBIs. Olson, who did not start the game, finished the night with 3 hits and one RBI. Davis had three hits, including a homer, and 2 RBIs. Chapman was 2-for-6, and he had a tater in the 8th with a man on, and he finished the night with 3 RBIs. Jed Lowrie also had three hits including a three-run homer in the ninth and a total of 4 RBIs for the game. Lucroy had three hits, and Mengden knocked in a run with a single.

The Dodger attack was led by Matt Kemp and Yasmani Grandal. Grandal hit a solo home run in the fourth inning off Mengden.

The A’s used four pitchers to improve to 5-8, and they are in fourth place in the AL West. The Dodgers drop to 4-7, and they are residing in fourth place in the NL West/

The A’s are off on Thursday and are on their way to Seattle to face the Mariners. The Mariners are off to a good start with a record of 6-4. The A’s are hoping that their hitters will stay hot this weekend.