Oakland, CA – Josh Donaldson hit a two-run homer and was one of six Oakland players to drive in a run as the Athletics cruised past the Cincinnati Reds with a 7-3 victory in the first of a two-game interleague set.
Seth Smith, Yoenis Cespedes, Brandon Moss, Josh Reddick and Stephen Vogt each drove in one run apiece for the Athletics, who had dropped two straight and four of five coming in.
Tommy Milone allowed all three runs on six hits and four walks over 4 2/3 innings, while Pat Neshek (2-1) earned the win after tossing one inning of two-hit shutout ball.
Joey Votto provided a solo homer and Jay Bruce and Shin-Soo Choo also drove in a run for Cincinnati, losers in four of five.
Bronson Arroyo (6-6) was charged for all seven runs on seven hits and lasted just four frames in defeat.
Oakland plated two runs in the second. Moss hit a one-out double and Donaldson followed with an infield single, though Moss was unable to move to third. Reddick brought Moss home with a double to center and Vogt then provided a sacrifice fly to score Donaldson for his first career MLB RBI.
The A's again roughed up Arroyo, this time in the third, with four more runs to push their lead to 6-0. Coco Crisp walked and Jed Lowrie singled in between a Smith fly out. Cespedes' RBI single provided the first run and Moss' sacrifice fly to right added another. Donaldson rounded out the scoring with a two-out blast to left on a first-pitch offering.
Votto finally put the visitors on the board in the fourth with a homer to left, though, the hosts tacked on another run in the home half on Smith's two- out single, scoring Crisp, who walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Milone was forced out in the fifth after showing signs of fatigue. Cesar Izturis doubled with one down and Derrick Robinson singled. Choo smacked a sacrifice fly to force the second out, though Milone walked three straight batters, the latter being Jay Bruce. That allowed a run to score and close the deficit to 7-3.
Neshek fanned Chris Heisey to leave the bases full.
Cincinnati loaded the bases in the sixth, but Jerry Blevins induced a fly out from Votto.
Choo flied out to leave a pair of runners in scoring position in the eighth.
Game Notes
Arroyo was 4-1 with a 2.14 ERA over his last eight starts coming in ... Robinson finished with a career-high four hits ... Crisp walked and scored twice ... Oakland went 4-for-6 with runners in scoring position ... It was Arroyo's shortest start since lasting three frames on July 16, 2012 ... The Reds will be without second baseman Brandon Phillips for this series as he attends to a family matter.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.