Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Cliff Pennington went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored as the Oakland Athletics pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates, 14-4, in the opener of a three-game interleague set. Ryan Sweeney went 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored while Coco Crisp added three hits and three runs scored for the Athletics, who had dropped seven of eight coming in. Ben Sheets (3-7) benefited from the run support as he snapped a four-start losing streak. He was charged with four runs on eight hits with nine strikeouts over six innings. Also, it was his first win since May 8 as he was held winless in his previous eight starts. Ryan Doumit drove in two runs while Andrew McCutchen had an RBI and two runs scored for the Pirates, who have lost 15 straight road games. Brad Lincoln (0-2) was tagged with the loss as he was charged with five runs -- three earned -- on eight hits with two walks and a strikeout in six innings. Neil Walker went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored for Pittsburgh, but left the game in the seventh inning after colliding with right fielder Ryan Church while the two players were trying to snag a foul ball. Walker lay on the ground for several minutes and was tended to by trainers before walking off the field with help from the trainers. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Walker hit a one-out double and scored when McCutchen followed with a double. McCutchen later scored when Doumit reached base on a Daric Barton error. Oakland, though, answered in the home half of the first. With men on first and third and two outs, Sweeney reached base on a Walker error, allowing Crisp to score and Jack Cust followed with a single to score Barton and tie the game. The Pirates again took the lead in the third as Doumit's double scored McCutchen, who earlier reached base on a fielder's choice. The A's responded in the bottom of the frame to take the lead. With the bases loaded, Mark Ellis punched a single to right to plate Kevin Kouzmanoff and Cliff Pennington followed with a sac fly to score Sweeney for a 4-3 lead. Crisp led off the fourth with a triple and came home to score on Barton's sac fly for a 5-3 lead. Pittsburgh made it a one-run game in the fifth when Walker smacked a solo homer to right, his third of the year. Oakland locked down the win with seven runs in the seventh. Sweeney doubled to score Kouzmanoff, Pennington later knocked a two-run single to right and Gabe Gross followed with a bloop RBI single to center. Barton then brought home Pennington with a single and a wild pitch from Brendan Donnelly scored Gross. Kouzmanoff then hit into a fielder's choice to score Crisp for a 12-4 lead. The A's continued to pour it on in the eighth as Adam Rosales hit an RBI triple and then scored on Ellis' sac fly for a 14-4 lead. Pittsburgh, which has lost its last four games, has not won on the road since May 25 in Cincinnati...Pittsburgh fell to 2-11 in interleague play this season while Oakland improved to 6-10...Oakland has won all seven matchups with Pittsburgh. It's the first time the teams are playing each other since 2004, when the A's swept the Pirates in Oakland.
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