OAKLAND, Calif. — Josh Reddick, Ike Davis and Billy Butler homered, and rookie Kendall Graveman threw seven shutout innings, leading the Oakland A’s to a 7-1 victory against the Colorado Rockies on Monday night at the O.co Coliseum.
The A’s were homerless in their previous four games before erupting for three home runs against Colorado and ending their three-game losing streak.
Reddick and Davis hit two-run blasts in the first inning, and Butler added a solo shot in the fourth. Butler also doubled and finished with three hits, three runs and two RBIs. Davis added a double, and catcher Stephen Vogt had two hits and scored a run.
Graveman (5-4) allowed just five hits, struck out three and walked three. For the fifth consecutive start, the right-hander pitched at least seven innings and allowed two or fewer runs. He is 4-2 in eight starts since being recalled from Triple-A Nashville on May 23.
The Rockies fell to 0-7 this season in interleague games and lost their 14th straight road game against American League teams. That is baseball’s second-longest such streak, one shy of the major league record set by the Los Angeles Dodgers from June 14, 2005, to June 28, 2006.
The A’s improved to 4-1 in interleague play this season.
Rockies right-hander David Hale (2-3) pitched seven innings and allowed five runs on nine hits, including a career-high-matching three home runs. He struck out two, walked none and lost his third straight decision.
Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon hit his 10th home run of the season, a leadoff shot off A’s reliever Evan Scribner in the eighth inning that cut Oakland’s lead to 5-1. However, the A’s added two runs in the eighth.
Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado extended the major league’s longest active hitting streak to 16 games with a sixth-inning single. He wound up 1-for-4. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki went 3-for-3 with a walk and extended his hitting streak to 13 games, baseball’s second-longest active streak.
A’s center fielder Billy Burns went 0-for-4 as his hitting streak ended at 16 games, which had been the longest active streak in the majors. Burns’ streak ended one game short of tying the Oakland record for a rookie.
The A’s grabbed a quick 4-0 lead in the first inning when Reddick and Davis hit two-run shots with two outs off Hale.
Vogt started the rally with a one-out single. Then after Hale struck out left fielder Ben Zobrist, Reddick lined his first-pitch fastball for a home run to right field. The home run was the right fielder’s 11th overall and first since June 12, ending a 14-game drought.
Butler singled to center, and Davis crushed Hale’s 2-2 curve deep into the right field seats for the first baseman’s third home run of the season and first at the Coliseum. It was his first home run since May 7, ending a 12-game drought.
The A’s extended their lead to 5-0 in the fourth on Butler’s fifth blast of the season, a drive to center field over the 400-foot mark. Blackmon made a leaping try, but the ball shot past his glove.
NOTES: Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado was selected the National League Player of the Week. He batted .391 with seven home runs, 14 RBIs, one double and 10 runs last week in six games. He had three multi-homer games. “He’s some kind of locked in,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. … A’s RF Josh Reddick hit fourth in the order for the third time this season. Reddick wore a protective guard on his right shin when hitting, one day after fouling a ball hard off his shin. … A’s switch-pitcher Pat Venditte (strained right shoulder) played catch for the second time since going on the disabled list retroactive to June 11. He made 40 throws right-handed and 40 left-handed from up to 75 feet. “It was pain free,” Venditte said. … The Rockies and A’s are playing a series in Oakland for the first time since June 26-28, 2009, when Colorado earned a three-game sweep.
