Athletics beat Orioles 5-1 to win their first series in more than a month

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Max Muncy homered and Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom each had two hits and an RBI as the Athletics beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 on Sunday to win their first series in more than a month.

Sean Newcomb (1-4) struck out three in three scoreless innings in relief of starter Jacob Lopez for the win. Grant Holman pitched a scoreless eighth and Mason Miller tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to end it.

The A’s last won a series May 2-4 when they took two of three against Miami. They hadn’t won a series at home since they won two of three against the Chicago White Sox from April 25-27.

The Athletics took a 1-0 lead off Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano in the first inning after Lawrence Butler led off with a base hit before scoring on Soderstrom’s two-out single.

A throwing error by catcher Jhonny Pereda on a pickoff attempt led to an unearned run off Lopez as the Orioles tied it in the second.

Pereda atoned for the errant throw with a go-ahead RBI double in the Athletics’ second. Butler drove in a run on a fielder’s choice before Wilson singled to make it 4-1.

Muncy led off the eighth against Bryan Baker with his third homer for the final run.

Lopez allowed four hits in four innings and struck out five before giving way to Newcomb.

Sugano (5-4) allowed four runs — three earned — and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. Scott Blewett, reacquired by Baltimore on Friday from Atlanta, followed and retired all five batters he faced.

The Orioles were coming off a three-game sweep of the Mariners in Seattle.

Key moment

Pereda’s RBI double recaptured the momentum and gave the A’s the lead for good.

Key stat

Wilson finished 2 for 4 and has multiple hits in five straight games and seven overall while going 20 for 40 during a nine-game hitting streak. The rookie shortstop raised his batting average to .372 and trails only the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, who began the day hitting .390.

Up next

The Athletics will play three against the Los Angeles Angels beginning Monday. Neither team announced a starter.

The Orioles head home for six games and hadn’t announced a starter for the first of three against the Tigers beginning Tuesday. Detroit will start RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (0-0, 7.36).

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