Athletics pound Orioles

By Curtis Pashelka
Contra Costa Times

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OAKLAND — The Athletics kept insisting that their offense was better than what it had been showing through the first eight weeks of the season.

At last, they've compiled some evidence to back up the claim.

Designated hitter Jack Cust hit a three-run home run in the first inning and left fielder Matt Holliday duplicated the accomplishment in the fifth as the A's topped the Baltimore Orioles, 9-1, on Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum for their season-high fourth straight win.

(Ben Margot / The Associated Press) - Oakland Athletics' Dallas Braden works against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 5, 2009, in Oakland, Calif.

Second baseman Adam Kennedy added a pair of singles as the A's finished with 10 hits, seven of which came during a six-run first inning, highlighted by Cust's blast over the center field fence off of Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie.

During the four-game winning streak, the A's have outscored the opposition 26-4. They have homered in six consecutive games.

Friday night's outburst was much more than Dallas Braden needed, as the A's most experienced starter matched a career-high with seven strikeouts as he lasted seven innings for the third time in four outings.

Even though he recorded just four wins in his first 11 starts, Braden arguably has been Oakland's most consistent starter. Before Friday, he had thrown at least six innings in eight starts and had allowed two runs or fewer five times.

Braden allowed five hits and made only one major mistake in giving up a solo home run to left fielder Luke Scott in the top of the seventh. Otherwise, Braden didn't allow a runner past second base as he picked up his second win in three starts.

Each of the last four A's starters have thrown at least 6 1/3 innings and have received plenty of run support, something that wasn't the case for the first two months of the season.

The win starts the A's seven-game homestand on a positive note as they play Baltimore today and Sunday before starting a four-game series with the Minnesota Twins. Oakland improved to 12-13 at home, where they still have to convince East Bay fans that they're for real. Friday's announced crowd was 12,608, their fourth-smallest of the season.