Oakland Athletics’ Carlos Perez watches his home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Wed Apr 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

What a difference a day makes. The Oakland A’s snapped their six-game losing streak Wednesday night as they downed the Baltimore Orioles 8-4. The A’s scored eight runs for the second night in a row. What was the difference? The answer is pitching and hitting.

The A’s starter, lefty Ken Waldichuk, had his best outing of the season. He did not get the win, but he pitched into the seventh inning. The A’s bullpen did the rest. Oakland’s pitching held the Orioles’ Austin Hays and Ryan Mountcastle hitless Wednesday night.

Hays has homered in each of the first two games. On Tuesday, Ryan Mountcastle had two homers and nine RBIs but was held hitless. The A’s offense rapped out 15 hits, including two home runs. It was a gritty win for the Green and Gold. There were a lot of smiles in the A’s clubhouse after the game. Here’s how they did it.

The A’s jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Tony Kemp doubled to deep right-center field. With one out, Orioles starter, Dean Kremer, hit Ramon Laureano with a pitch to put two men on base. Right fielder Brent Rooker blasted his first homer of the season over the centerfield wall to give Oakland an early advantage.

The Orioles scored twice in the bottom of the second. Orioles shortstop Ramon Urias reached on an infield single. Waldichuk walked Gunner Henderson. Second baseman Jorge Mateo doubled to drive in Urias with the Orioles first run. Henderson went to third on the play. Ryan McKenna’s sacrifice fly drove in Henderson with Baltimore’s second run. The A’s lea 3-2 after two innings.

In the top of the fifth, A’s catcher Carlos Perez belted his first home run of the season to give the A’s a 4-2 lead. It was Perez’s first home run 2018.

With the talent the Orioles have, no lead is safe. The Orioles came back from a 7-3 deficit on Tuesday to beat the A’s 12-8. A’s manager Mark Kotsay let Waldichuk start the seventh inning. With one out, Orioles right fielder Adam Frazier singled.

Kotsay ended Waldichuk’s night as he brought in Jeurys Familia to pitch. Frazier was able to advance to second on a passed ball. Familia gave up a single to Cedric Mullins. Frazier was able to score on the hit. Familia got Austin Hays to ground out, and Mullins went to third on the play.

Familia had to face the dangerous Adley Rutschman. Rutschman won the battle as he singled to drive in Mullins with the tying run. The score was tied 4-4 after seven.

Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde brought Keegan Akin to pitch the eighth inning. The A’s played small ball and put three more runs on the board. Brent Rooker singled to get things rolling for the A’s. Kotsay inserted Esteury Ruiz to run for Rooker. The next hitter, Jace Peterson, singled. Ruiz stopped at second.

The Orioles summoned Cionel Perez from the bullpen to relieve Akin. A’s second baseman Aledmys Diaz reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Jesus Aguilar’s sacrifice fly drove in Ruiz with the a’s fifth run. Peterson tagged and went to third on the play. Kotsay sent Nick Allen into the game to run for Diaz.

Kevin Smith’s sacrifice bunt allowed Peterson to score on the play. Allen went top second. Carlos Perez singled to drive in Allen. The A’s led 7-4 midway through the eighth inning.

Oakland added a run in the top of the ninth. Ryan Noda reached on an infield single. Ramon Laureano singled, sending Noda to third. Esteury Ruiz reached on an infield single. Noda scored the A’s eighth run of the game. A’s reliever Chad Smith pitched a scoreless eight and ninth innings to secure the win for the A’s.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s are now 3-9. The Orioles fall to 6-6.

Waldichuk had his best game this year. Waldichuk’s line was six and one-third innings pitched. He allowed five hits and three runs. Waldichuk walked three and struck out four. Familia went 2/3rd of an inning and allowed two hits and one run. Chad Smith earned his first Major League win. 

The line score for Oakland was eight runs, 15 hits, and one error. The Orioles line was four runs, eight hits, and no errors.

The hitting starts for Oakland were Brent Rooker and Carlos Perez. Rooker had two hits. One of his hits was an Earl Weaver special- a three-run dinger. Carlos Perez has three hits and two RBIs. One of Perez’s was a home run.

The A’s pitching held the Orioles’ big three, Hayes, Rutschman, and Mountcastle, to one hit in eleven at-bats. 

After the game, Mark Kotsay said:” I thought the guys did a great job.” “We played offense tonight.” I am “happy about the way we executed.” 

The A’s finish the four-game series with the Orioles on Thursday. Mark Kotsay has selected Adam Oller to pitch for Oakland. Former A’s pitcher, lefty Cole Irvin, will pitch for the Birds. Irvin will be making his first start as an Oriole, and the crafty lefty would love a victory over his former teammates. The game will start at 10 am.

The time of the game was two hours and fifty-one minutes. Attendance was 10,181.