Field Level Media
Aug 18, 2020
A five-run first inning set the stage for the Arizona Diamondbacks' sixth consecutive win, a 10-1 decision over the Oakland Athletics Tuesday in Phoenix.
Arizona's Nick Ahmed drove in five runs in the first two innings, and Kole Calhoun hit his sixth home run this month. Luke Weaver (1-3) earned the victory after pitching a season-high five innings and allowing a run on three hits and a walk while striking out six.
Tim Locastro doubled off the center field wall in the eighth, driving in Jon Jay with Arizona's 10th run. The Diamondbacks completed a 5-0 homestand, their first undefeated homestand since Aug. 25-31, 2017, when they took six games combined from the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ahmed's three-run home run highlighted the big first inning, which included a wild pitch from A's starter Frankie Montas that allowed the first run to score plus an Eduardo Escobar sacrifice fly with the bases loaded.
Montas threw 32 pitches in the first inning in by far his rockiest outing of the season. Calhoun led off the second inning with a solo home run before Ahmed singled in two runs and Jake Lamb drove in another with a base hit.
Taylor Widener struck out six and walked two in three scoreless innings of relief for Arizona. He did not allow a hit.
Montas (2-2) lasted just 1 2/3 innings, giving up nine runs on six hits with four walks and one strikeout. He had allowed two runs or fewer and five hits or fewer in each of his previous four starts -- going seven innings in each of the past two -- and surrendered a home run for the first time this season.
Montas had yet to give up a first inning run this season until Tuesday.
After a four-game winning streak, the A's have lost two consecutive games to Arizona with two more to play between the teams Wednesday and Thursday in Oakland.
Sean Murphy drove in the Athletics' only run with a second-inning double.
--Field Level Media