The Oakland Athletics struggles continued as their losing streak increased to nine games with a 3-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday night. The game did feature Jemile Weeks getting his first two career hits and scoring his first career run. Unfortunately it was not enough as Zach Britton and the Orioles bullpen once again contained the A’s to secure the victory.
The Orioles were able to jump on top early behind a J.J. Hardy RBI single and a Mark Reynolds two-run homer in the fifth inning. The A’s snapped a 19-inning scoreless streak in the top of the sixth in what might be an expected fashion. Jemile Weeks opened the inning with a single, his second hit of the game, and that was followed by a Coco Crisp single that moved Weeks to third. Daric Barton followed that up with a 4-6-3 double play that scored Weeks but ended any chance of a further threat.
The A’s added a second run in the eighth inning. Weeks reached base on an error by left fielder by Nolan Reimold. The fielding error allowed him to get all the way to third and he scored on a Coco Crisp sacrifice fly. Oakland went down in order in the ninth inning to fall 3-2.
This ninth straight loss leaves them one short of a ten game losing streak in 2008. The A’s head to Chicago for a four game series against the White Sox starting tomorrow. Given the quick turn around time, it will be interesting to see if the A’s have any sort of jet lag in the series opener on Thursday.