Mazzaro’s fine outing helps Oakland sweep struggling Orioles with 3-0 victory

Athletics complete sweep of Orioles with 3-0 win

OAKLAND, Calif. — Vin Mazzaro pitched seven sharp innings, Jason Giambi drew a bases-loaded walk in the first and the Oakland Athletics beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 Sunday for their season-high sixth straight win.

After Adam Jones led off the game with a single, Mazzaro (2-0) retired 15 of the next 16 Orioles hitters — an impressive showing for his second career start and first at home.

The 22-year-old right-hander was called up last Tuesday to make his major league debut and earned the win against the White Sox in Chicago. This time, he left to a standing ovation when he walked off the mound in the eighth following Robert Andino’s one-out single.

With only two hits, Oakland matched its longest winning streak against the Orioles at eight games and earned a three-game sweep for the first time this year. This is the A’s longest winning streak since Aug. 11-16, 2006, when they also won six in a row. Oakland’s starters have won six straight games as well, for the first time since getting eight straight victories from June 8-16, 2006.

Andrew Bailey pitched the ninth for his fourth save, completing the team’s third shutout — and third in the last six games after not getting any in the first 49. The Orioles were blanked for the third time.

This was a bad day for Baltimore from the start. Rich Hill failed to get out of the first inning, the second time during the series it happened for an Orioles starter. Jeremy Guthrie gave up six runs in the first inning of Friday night’s 9-1 loss.

Hill (2-1) walked three straight batters with one out in the first and forced in runs with a free pass and by plunking Kurt Suzuki with a pitch. Giambi served as the designated hitter rather than playing first base in order to give his legs a break after he left Saturday night’s 9-4 win with tightness in his right calf.

The Orioles, who have lost 24 of their last 32 games at the Coliseum, outhit Oakland but couldn’t capitalize in their fifth straight loss and seventh in eight games. They concluded a 1-5 road trip and have dropped 21 of their last 26 away from Camden Yards. The club’s upcoming nine-game homestand certainly will be a welcome change.

Baltimore has scored only 10 runs in its last seven games and has been held to six or fewer hits in five of the last seven.