O's fall behind big early and lose 13-2 to A's

One miserable inning put the Orioles in a big hole early tonight and they never climbed out of it. Oakland beat the Orioles 13-2 after losing by eight runs last night to even the series at a win each.

The A's, now 7-8, scored five soft runs off left-hander John Means in the top of the second. They produced three infield hits and used one costly error and a three-run homer to take early control of the game. Four of the five runs were unearned. The Orioles allowed just two unearned runs through their first 10 games.

Oakland's Khris Davis led off the frame with a checked swing single on the right side. First baseman Rio Ruiz ranged far to his right to field the ball, but Means didn't get to first base in time to make a play, although it's not certain he could have gotten there in time anyway. Batting next, Chad Pinder hit a swinging bunt infield single and two were on base.

Means almost got out of this inning unscathed when he got a strikeout and a groundout advancing runners to second and third. But Jurickson Profar hit a grounder to the hole at short for an RBI infield hit and 1-0 lead. Then Josh Phegley's weak grounder to third was fielded by Hanser Alberto, but his throw pulled Ruiz off the bag and a second run scored on a costly E-5.

It would become more costly when Marcus Semien's fly ball to left center just cleared the fence. His three-run shot made it 5-0 on his second of the year, which came on a 2-2 changeup by Means and traveled 379 feet.

The infield hits and errors had to be frustrating for Means, making his fifth major league appearance and first as a starter. Although he would pitch a 1-2-3 third.

He went three innings for his night on 60 pitches allowing four hits and five runs (just one earned). Means falls to 1-1 with an ERA of 2.08.

Down 5-0, the Orioles ran themselves out of a rally in the last of the third. With two on and none out, Joey Rickard singled to center and Ramón Laureano threw out Richie Martin easily at the plate for his fourth outfield assist. Moments later, Rickard was caught stealing on the back-end of an ill-fated double steal attempt.

Right-hander Evan Phillips, recalled today when Nate Karns went on the IL, pitched three scoreless innings on 48 pitches. Phillips fanned four showing a fastball that ranged from 94 to 96 mph.

Profar greeted reliever Richard Bleier with a solo homer on the first pitch of the seventh for a 6-0 lead. He hit one 423 feet off the lefty.

The Orioles finally scored and knocked Brett Anderson out of the game in the home seventh. Dwight Smith Jr. and Alberto singled and scored on a long double to center by catcher Pedro Severino for a 6-2 game. Laureano got some glove on that ball, but could not pull it in as Severino picked up his first two RBIs as an Oriole.

The A's scored four in the eighth off Bleier and Miguel Castro and three in the ninth off Castro. Bleier was charged with four runs in 1 1/3 innings and has an ERA of 14.54. Castro was charged with four runs in 1 2/3 and has an ERA of 11.57. Profar had four hits and five RBIs and Semien finished with four driven in.

So the Orioles fall to 5-6 for the season and 1-4 on this homestand that continues Wednesday when they host the A's at 7:05 p.m.