OAKLAND, CALIF. — The Orioles rotation continued to do its part Thursday afternoon in Oakland, and the club's offense finally followed suit.
Right-hander Chris Tillman provided the team's seventh straight quality start, and he received plenty of run support in a 9-6 win over the Oakland Athletics as the Orioles avoided their first four-game sweep in Oakland since 2004.
Tillman, making his fourth attempt to win his 15th game of the season, held the Athletics to two runs over seven innings, making an early 7-0 lead hold.
"Same [as] we've seen all year, just a bulldog," said right fielder Mark Trumbo, who hit a grand slam and drove in five runs. "He goes out there and is pretty much unfazed. Even if they try to put something together, he seems to shut it down pretty quick."
Tillman held the A's scoreless through his first 4 1/3 innings, retiring 13 of the first 16 batters he faced before allowing a two-run homer to Oakland third baseman Ryon Healy. That was Tillman's only blemish on the afternoon. Tillman (15-4) retired eight of the final nine batters he faced.
"I feel like we had a pretty good sense of where we were," Tillman said. "[Catcher Matt Wieters] did a good job once again, never really giving in to the count. We used all our pitches in all the counts, never backed ourselves in the corner. I think for the most part, we were one step ahead."
Healy's homer was the only extra-base hit Tillman allowed.
Tillman has allowed three or fewer runs in seven of his past eight starts, posting a 2.96 ERA over that stretch. He has gone seven innings in five of his past eight starts.
Over the starting rotation's quality-start streak, Orioles starters have posted a 2.93 ERA but are just 3-4 in those games, in part because the team's offense was going through an ugly stretch at the plate. The Orioles scored just three runs over their first three games in Oakland.
"It's tough," Tillman said. "I feel like with this offense, I've been there before. These guys put up a lot of runs. It is tough. You've got to stay on top of it. [Dylan] Bundy did that the other day, and that's one of the most impressive things I've seen out of him this year. You've really got to stay on top of it and focus on executing pitches. Otherwise it will get away from you in a hurry."
Bullpen shows holes in win: Right-hander Logan Ondrusek, who was signed because of his success against left-handed hitters, allowed a solo homer to left-handed-hitting Max Muncy in the eighth. Three of the four batters Ondrusek faced reached base as he issued walks to switch-hitter Coco Crisp and left-hander Stephen Vogt but was saved by a Marcus Semien double-play ball in between those free passes.
Darren O'Day struggled to get out of the inning in relief of Ondrusek. He walked former Oriole Danny Valencia and allowed a two-run double to Yonder Alonso to end a nine-pitch at bat. Billy Butler followed with an RBI single off O'Day to cut the Orioles' lead to 9-6.
O'Day, who was charged with two runs in one-third of an inning, has allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings over his past three outings.
"He wasn't able to finish off some things that he normally finishes off," manager Buck Showalter said of O'Day. "I'm going to check with him. We always check with him after he pitches. He's a little frustrated right now. Will see if everything's OK. He's had some really sharp Darren-like outings and he's had a couple that weren't at the level he's spoiled us with."
Left-handers are 4-for-8 with three extra-base hits (two doubles, one homer) and two walks off Ondrusek.
Ondrusek was optioned to Double-A Bowie after Thursday's game, and left-hander Donnie Hart will join the Orioles in San Francisco.
Britton dodges damage in ninth: Despite loading the bases in the ninth, bringing the winning run to the plate, closer Zach Britton threw a scoreless inning to remain perfect on the season by converting his 35th straight save opportunity.
With two on and two outs, pinch hitter Khris Davis hit an infield single up the middle to Jonathan Schoop, and Muncy was called out on a tag at third base. But the play was overturned after video review.
Britton recovered, retiring Valencia on a groundout to second to end the game.
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