Oakland A’s hit season-high five home runs to trounce Toronto Blue Jays 14-6

TORONTO – Josh Reddick hit three home runs and recorded five RBIs as the Oakland Athletics hit a season-high five homers to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 14-6 on Friday.

Right-hander Jarrod Parker (8-6) allowed six hits and three runs in six innings to win his sixth successive decision dating back to May 28. Parker has a 2.90 earned-run average in that span of 13 starts.

Blue Jays starter Esmil Rogers (3-7) allowed seven hits, including three home runs, two walks and seven runs in three innings, increasing his ERA over his past seven starts to 8.50.

Jed Lowrie and Yoenis Cespedes also homered for the A’s, who have only won two of their past eight games. With the victory, Oakland ended it’s three-game losing streak.

Lowrie picked up three RBIs and recorded his third four-hit game of the season, while A’s second baseman Eric Sogard extended his career-best hitting streak to 14 games — the longest hitting streak by an A’s player this season.

The Blue Jays, who have now lost two in a row, hit two home runs against A’s reliever Pat Neshek in the eighth inning. Jose Bautista hit his 26th homer of the season and Colby Rasmus followed with his 18th.

It was the opener of a seven-game home stand for the Blue Jays (53-62) who returned from a 5-5 West Coast trip that included winning two of three games against the Athletics (65-49).

Oakland got things off to a quick start by plating its first four batters of the game. Coco Crisp led off with a single, Sogard walked and Lowrie hit his ninth homer of the season to right field. Cespedes hit his 18th homer of the season to left on the next pitch before Rogers retired the next three batters.

The A’s added two runs in the second on a single by Crisp that sent Seth Smith across the plate. Sogard’s sacrifice fly scored Stephen Vogt for the second run of the inning.

But the Blue Jays scored three runs in their half of the second to cut Oakland’s lead to 6-3. Rasmus drew a one-out walk and scored on a double by Brett Lawrie as the ball bounced pass Crisp in centre field. Emilio Bonifacio singled in a run, stole second and scored on a double by Jose Reyes.

Oakland increased the lead to 7-3 in the third when Reddick homered with two out. He hit his second homer of the game to left with two out in the fifth against reliever Neil Wagner. Smith and Vogt doubled to increase the lead to 9-3.

Reddick hit a three-run home run, his third homer of the game, and eighth of the season, against left-hander Juan Perez in the sixth inning. Perez left with two out in the seventh with an apparent injury on a pitch. Sergio Santos, in to replace Perez, ended the inning on one pitch.

NOTES: Attendance at Rogers Centre was 31,862. … Catcher Josh Thole started for the fourth game in a row on Friday. Manager John Gibbons said that regular catcher J.P. Arencibia (right knee bursitis) was available to play if needed and might start on Saturday. Infielder Mark DeRosa is the emergency catcher .… The Athletics assigned on option right-hander pitcher Evan Scribner to triple-A Sacramento to make room for Adam Rosales, who was claimed on waivers from Texas on Thursday. The Rangers had claimed Rosales from the A’s on Aug. 2. … Left-handed pitcher Mark Buehrle (7-7, 4.41 earned-run average) will start Saturday’s game for the Blue Jays against Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray (0-0, 0.00.) who is 10-7, with a 3.42 ERA in 20 starts at triple-A Sacramento. Gray will make his third career major-league outing and first start.