Brent Rooker and Max Schuemann hit home runs as part of an early 10-run explosion and the host Oakland Athletics beat the American League East-leading Baltimore Orioles for the third time this season in a 19–8 shellacking on Saturday afternoon.
Shea Langeliers, Tyler Nevin and Kyle McCann also homered for the A’s, who can win the six-game season series with another victory in the last meeting between the teams Sunday.
Luis Medina (2–3) allowed just one run in five innings for his second consecutive win, benefitting from Rooker’s three-run homer in the first and then a seven-run second that featured a three-run shot by Schuemann.
Zack Gelof contributed a two-RBI double to the big second inning, during which Orioles starter Cade Povich (1–3) was pulled after the first five Oakland batters reached base.
Povich, who recorded his first big-league win in his previous start, was charged with eight runs on five hits and three walks in one-plus innings. He struck out one.
The homers were Rooker’s 18th and Schuemann’s fifth.
Langeliers added a two-run homer, his 17th, in the third; Nevin a solo shot, his sixth, in the fourth; and Miguel Andujar a two-run double in the sixth, extending the Oakland lead to 17–1.
Medina walked three, allowed six hits and struck out three in his five innings before handing off to Jack O'Laughlin, who teamed with T.J. McFarland to mop up.
The Athletics outhit the Orioles 18–16.
Rooker, Nevin and Brett Harris collected three hits and three runs apiece for the A’s, whose run total was their second-highest this season behind a 20-run eruption against the Miami Marlins in May.
Daz Cameron also scored three times after drawing three walks, while Andujar (three RBIs), who also had three hits, Rooker (four RBIs), Schuemann (three) and Langeliers (three) drove in 13 of the 19 runs.
Friday night’s starting catcher, James McCann, finished the game on the mound for Baltimore and served up a two-run home run to Kyle McCann (no relation).
Adley Rutschman hit a three-run homer, his 16th, and Ryan Mountcastle a solo shot, his 12th, for the Orioles, who hadn’t previously allowed more than 14 runs in any game this season.
Mountcastle, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Heston Kjerstad, Austin Hays and Ramon Urias had a pair of hits apiece, and Jorge Mateo scored twice.
