OAKLAND — Ross Stripling broke a 10-game losing streak dating back to last season with six shutout innings as the Athletics beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 Wednesday, completing a three-game sweep of the series.
With a paid crowd of 4,679 despite bright sunshine and 71 degrees at first pitch, the A’s drew 12,083 for the three-game series.
The As had solo home runs from Abraham Toro in the seccond inning, his third, and Tyler Nevin in the third, his fourth. With their fourth straight win, the Athletics improved to 15-17 with Pittsburgh falling to 14-18.
Stripling was done after six innings and 79 pitches, 58 of which were strikes for a 73.4 strike percentage. He walked no one, struck out two and gave up three hits. Twice he survived two-out throwing errors by Nevin at third to get the third out.
Besides losing his first five decisions with the A’s, Stripling was 0-5 in 22 games with 11 starts last season for the Giants. His earned run average over the 10-game losing streak was 5.25.
The bullpen survived a harrowing seventh inning when the Pirates loaded the bases with a single by Jared Triolo against T.J. McFarland and a pair of two-out walks surrendered by Austin Adams to Henry Davis and Ke’Bryan Hayes.
In the eighth, two walks from Dany Jimenez put runners on base before Michael Kelly retired Jared Triolo on a fly to left.
Adams then went 3-0 against Bryan Reynolds, only to comeback and get the strikeout with the runners in motion.
Mason Miller pitched the ninth in a non-save situation, with the A’s having scored in the eighth. Miller retired the Pirates in order with one strikeout, capping a series where Oakland pitching gave up three runs and 11 hits in three games.
An RBI single from Kyle McCann put the A’s up 4-0 in the bottom of the eighth. McCann’s single drove in Esteury Ruiz, who had stolen second base while pinch running for Toro, who walked to lead off the inning.
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The A’s pushed across a gift run in the third courtesy of a two-out infield single by Nevin, walks to JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers to load the bases and a grounder to short by Toro that Oneil Cruz threw away for an error, bringing in Nevin.
Toro got the A’s on the board in the second inning with a one-out solo home run that carried 406 feet and left the bat at 106.3 miles per hour. In the third, Nevin connected on a two-out solo shot to left on a 1-2 pitch which departed at 102.2 and carried 384 feet.
