Former ValleyCat Mengden tosses 2-hitter

Former Tri-City ValleyCats starting pitcher Daniel Mengden pitched a two-hitter for his second career shutout, and the Oakland Athletics beat the slumping Arizona Diamondbacks 3-0 on Saturday.

Mengden (5- 4) struck out five and walked none. Socrates Brito singled in the second and David Peralta singled in the sixth for Arizona’s only hits.

Matt Olson, Matt Joyce and Chad Pinder connected for the Athletics, who began the day ranked last in the majors with 15 home runs at home and tops in baseball with 47 on the road.

The Diamondbacks wasted a solid outing for Clay Buchholz in their 15th loss in 17 games. Buchholz (0-1) permitted one run and two hits in six innings.

Joyce hit a drive to center in the first for his ninth career leadoff homer. Buchholz then retired 15 in a row.

Buchholz struck out three and walked none in his second start with Arizona. The 33-year-old righthander missed most of last season after he tore a tendon in his right forearm.

Olson hit his eighth homer in the seventh against Jorge De La Rosa, and Pinder belted his fifth off Fernando Salas in the eighth.

Mengden threw 102 pitches. He has walked just six batters in 66 1/3 innings.

Right fielder Stephen Piscotty made a leaping grab in front of the wall for the last out. NICE CATCH Oakland’s Dustin Fowler made a diving catch on a ball in front of him in shallow center, taking a base hit from Nick Ahmed with one out in the eighth. MAKING MOVES The Athletics put reliever Santiago Casilla on the 10- day disabled list with a strained right shoulder. They also optioned righthander Josh Lucas to Triple-ANashville and recalled righties Chris Bassitt and Carlos Ramirez from their top affiliate. TRAINER’S ROOM Diamondbacks: RHP Shelby Miller ( Tommy John surgery) will start his first rehab game with Single-A Visalia on Tuesday. Miller has pitched in three extended spring training games.

Athletics: Casilla experienced a similar injury in spring training, manager Bob Melvin said. It isn’t thought to be serious.