Brent Rooker and Brett Harris belted two home runs apiece, while 10 Oakland players registered at least one hit in their lopsided 20-4 home win over the Marlins on Saturday.
Despite a weather delay pushing back first pitch by three hours, Oakland appeared eager to bat against visiting Miami by the time they got to play.
Oakland batted around the order in a game-changing third inning, where it scored 10 runs on eight hits, including three home runs, to put the game out of reach early and extend its winning streak to six games.
The Athletics lead the Marlins, 2-0, in the three-game series.
Rooker fueled the surge with two home runs in the third, with his first, a two-run shot, coming off of Miami starting pitcher Trevor Rogers (0-5) and then a three-run home run later in the inning off of reliever Darren McCaughan. He finished with five RBIs.
Harris recorded the first hit of his MLB career when he hit a solo home run in the fourth inning. He followed up with another home run in the sixth, a two-run shot.
JJ Bleday also had a threee-run home run off of Rogers, before the Marlins starter was relieved.
Rogers was pulled after 2 1/3 innings of action, where he gave up eight runs on eight hits and three walks, while striking out one batter.
Oakland’s Paul Blackburn (3-1) complemented the Athletics’ hard-hitting bats with a strong outing on the mound. Blackburn pitched seven innings, allowing just one run and four hits, with three strikeouts.
Nick Fortes had a solo home run for the Marlins in the sixth inning. Bryan De La Cruz added a couple more runs for the Marlins with a two-run home run in the eighth.
The Athletics built a 2-0 lead in the second inning, when Darell Hernaiz had an RBI single to start Oakland’s high-scoring day. Estuary Ruiz added an RBI single shortly after.
Shea Langeliers had Oakland’s sixth home run of the game, when he hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning.
Ruiz exited the game after making a diving catch in the top of the sixth for the second out. He left with an apparent wrist injury, and Seth Brown entered the game to take his place.
–Field Level Media
