Orioles 10, A's 3
BALTIMORE -- J.J. Hardy hit his 23rd homer and added a double and a single as the Baltimore Orioles pounded out 13 hits to take the finale of a three-game series with Oakland by beating the A's 10-3 on Sunday.
The Orioles (70-59) took two of three to pull within two games of the A's (72-57) in the race for the second AL wild-card spot.
Nick Markakis and Nate McLouth added a homer and double apiece and the Orioles scored three runs on sacrifice flies, including two by Manny Machado.
Orioles starter Scott Feldman (4-3) pitched five innings, giving up a run and three hits, all singles. He struck out six, but walked four and hit a batter.
Josh Donaldson hit a two-run homer in the eighth and Jed Lowrie had two hits for Oakland, which dropped to 9-14 since July 30.
Feldman, acquired July 2 from the Cubs, began the day with a 6.52 ERA in five home starts for Baltimore and struggled early on.
A balk sandwiched between two walks put A's on first and third with one out in the first. Feldman fanned Brandon Moss, but Alberto Callaspo blooped a single just beyond the reach of second baseman Ryan Flaherty in right to score Coco Crisp and make the score 1-0.
The Orioles responded quickly. Consecutive one-out singles in their half of the first by Machado, Chris Davis and Adam Jones off Oakland starter Sonny Gray (1-2) tied the game. Baltimore took a 2-1 lead when Davis scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt Wieters.
Baltimore added three runs in the second. Hardy doubled and, after Flaherty walked, Brian Roberts blooped a single to left scoring Hardy. With runners on first and second, McLouth flied to deep left center and both runners tagged up, with Flaherty going to third.
Flaherty scored and Roberts went to third when Machado followed with a deep fly to left center. Davis then hit a sharp single to left scoring Roberts to give the Orioles a 5-1 lead.
The Orioles added runs on Machado's sacrifice fly in the fourth and Hardy's solo homer leading off the sixth.
In the eighth, Markakis led off with a solo shot and McLouth added a two-run homer with two outs.
Gray, who came in with a 1.71 ERA in four starts since being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento, was finished after 3 1/3 innings. He gave up six runs on eight hits.
NOTES: A's RF Josh Reddick left in the sixth inning with an injured right wrist. ... Oakland's Yoenis Cespedes was given the day off. He was 0-for-8 (five strikeouts) in the first two games of the series. ... Oakland RHP A.J. Griffin (10-9, 3.84) pitches against Annibal Sanchez (11-7, 2.45) Monday in Detroit. ... Baltimore begins a three-game series Tuesday in Boston. ... Manager Buck Showalter said RHP Jason Hammel (DL since July 29 with right flexor mass strain) is slated for a rehab assignment Thursday at Double-A Bowie.
