Oakland offense comes out swinging again to beat Baltimore 9-4

A’s jump to big lead early again

OAKLAND, Calif. — Jason Giambi hit a three-run double that helped rookie Trevor Cahill end a three-start losing streak, and the Oakland Athletics won their season-best fifth straight game with a 9-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.

Orlando Cabrera and Adam Kennedy each doubled twice and drove in two runs, including getting back-to-back doubles in the A’s four-run fourth to chase Orioles starter Jason Berken. The first seven hits by the A’s were doubles, but they saw the end to their streak of six straight games with a home run.

Cahill (3-5), who had struggled for run support in recent outings, was staked to a 5-0 lead in the third inning on Giambi’s double against Berken (1-2). Kennedy hit a two-out RBI double, then Jack Cust and Matt Holliday each drew walks to load the bases for Giambi.

Cahill struck out five in six innings and didn’t walk a batter for the second time in 12 starts.

Nolan Reimold hit a three-run homer in the seventh for the Orioles off reliever Brad Ziegler. A’s starters have won five in a row for the first time since May 21-27 last year. Oakland has scored five or more runs in five straight games for the first time since doing so in eight straight from Sept. 9-16, 2007.

Berken was tagged for nine runs and seven hits in 3 1-3 innings in his third major league start after allowing only three earned runs total in his initial two outings. Gregg Zaun singled in a run in the seventh for the Orioles, who have lost four straight and six of seven.

The eight doubles matched an Oakland record, done three other times and last on June 26, 2005, against San Francisco. Baltimore also matched a franchise record for doubles allowed, the fourth time the club has given up eight and first since the Yankees did so on July 29, 2007.

Baltimore’s offense finally showed some life. The Orioles had scored only six runs in the past five games, getting six or fewer hits in four of those.

Orioles manager Dave Trembley shook up his lineup to try to get his club on track offensively after a 9-1 loss in the series opener Friday night. Aubrey Huff dropped from his regular cleanup hole to the fifth spot and Adam Jones moved down to third from the No. 2 hole, with Nick Markakis batting second.

Baltimore’s Felix Pie left the game after fouling a ball that bounced off the dirt and hit him in the throat.

Pie, who was leading off the third inning, grabbed his throat in pain and athletic trainer Richie Bancells rushed to assist him. After several minutes, Pie stepped back in to hit but struck out swinging two pitches later against Cahill. Once back in the dugout, he was escorted to the clubhouse and then replaced by Reimold.