1 week Ago By Jerry Mcdonald
OAKLAND — First came the rain, followed by the thunder. Flexing their offensive muscle for the first time this season, the Athletics exploded for 10 runs in the third inning in a 20-4 win over the Miami Marlins Saturday evening at the Coliseum following a rain delay of nearly three and a half hours. Their sixth consecutive win evened the A’s record at 17-17, nine games better than the 8-26 they were at through 34 games a year ago.
Brent Rooker had two home runs and five RBIs in the third inning as the A’s sent 14 men to the plate, his seventh and eight home runs of the season. JJ Bleday added a three-run shot, his fourth, as a paid crowd of 7,809 enjoyed the show. Brett Harris, called up from Triple-A Friday, had his first career hit and home run with a solo shot to lead off the fourth inning and then added a two-run homer against Darren McCaughan in the sixth.
Catcher Shea Langeliers got in on the action with a three-run home run in the eighth as the A’s scored four times in the eighth against Emmanuel Rivera. It was Langeliers’ seventh home run. The A’s finished with 21 hits including the six home runs.
Miami, which fell to 9-26, appears doomed to the type of season the A’s had a year ago when they lost 112 games. Trevor Rogers (0-5) was the losing pitcher, giving up eight earned runs with a three walks and a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings. Nick Fortes hit a solo home run for Miami, his first, in the sixth inning against winning pitcher Paul Blackburn (3-1), and B.
