Chapman’s 3-run HR in 5-run 4th rallies A’s
OAKLAND, Calif. — A promising start for the Orioles ended in frustration following Jeremy Hellickson’s roughest outing since joining Baltimore’s rotation two weeks ago.
Matt Chapman hit a tiebreaking three-run homer off Hellickson in a five-run fourth inning, and the Oakland Athletics overcame an early two-run deficit in a 9-3 victory on Sunday.
“Every game’s big right now, so when you lose, you feel like you had to have that one,” Hellickson said. “Just frustrated right now.”
Hellickson (1-2) gave up six runs — twice as many as he allowed in his previous two starts. He allowed five hits in five-plus innings.
That dropped the Orioles to 3-4 on their 10-game road trip.
“That was a strange. just kind of an Oakland game,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “They really hit one ball hard, a little changeup he was trying to get underneath the bat and left it there. Probably looking for it and hooked it. I thought he had good enough stuff.”
Manny Machado hit his 22nd homer and scored twice for Baltimore.
“We have a great team, we have a great lineup and pitching staff,” Machado said. “Things haven’t turned out how
Athletics 9, Orioles 3
we’d like them to be but we’re going to keep fighting until the end. We’re not going to stop.”
Matt Joyce and Matt Olson also homered as the A’s gained a fourgame split.
“We did a great job of not trying to do too much,” Joyce said. “Obviously, Chapman came up with a huge hit. and gave us a big boost that we needed. After that it’s just about grinding out the at-bats, having a good approach, trying to make the necessary adjustments that you need to get to the starter.”
Kendall Graveman (3-3) had an uneven outing in his first win since returning Aug. 3 from a disabled list stint caused by a strained right shoulder. He matched his career high of eight strikeouts, allowing two runs and eight hits in seven innings.
Run-scoring singles by Jonathan Schoop in the first and Chris Davis in the second built Baltimore’s 2-0 lead.
Ryon Healy hit an RBI double in the fourth, when Khris Davis scored the tying run when he beat Chris Davis’ throw home on Olson’s grounder to first. Chapman, in a 3-for-16 slide, homered off the left-field pole. All eight of his home runs have been since the AllStar break.