Geraldo Perdomo and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit two-run homers, Merrill Kelly tossed seven-plus sharp innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks did all their scoring early in a 5-2 victory over the host Oakland Athletics on Monday.
Perdomo went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs for the Diamondbacks, who took the opener of a three-game interleague series for their fourth win in a row.
Jace Peterson homered for Oakland, which dropped its third straight and fell for the eighth time in nine games.
Perdomo gave the Diamondbacks a lead they’d never relinquish when he followed a Dominic Fletcher double in the second inning with a two-run shot to right, his third homer of the season.
Gurriel made it 4-0 in the third. Corbin Carroll walked, and Gurriel launched a pitch from Drew Rucinski (0-4) into the bleachers in left-center field for his sixth homer of the year.
Kelly gave up a run in the last of the third on an RBI single by Esteury Ruiz that followed a two-out, two-base throwing error by third baseman Josh Rojas.
Arizona got that one right back when Carroll was credited with a sacrifice fly that was caught by Oakland shortstop Nick Allen in the fourth, completing the Diamondbacks’ scoring.
Kelly (4-3) surrendered Peterson’s third homer, a solo shot, leading off the eighth, and he was pulled two batters later after Jordan Diaz walked and Allen singled, bringing the potential tying run to the plate.
Miguel Castro came on to get Ruiz to pop into a double play. After walking Ryan Noda, Castro induced a fly ball to right field from Brent Rooker to escape with a 5-2 lead.
Andrew Chafin pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his sixth save.
Kelly was charged with two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk while striking out nine.
Rucinski yielded five runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings. He walked five and did not record a strikeout.
Rojas contributed two hits for the Diamondbacks, who were opening a nine-game trip.
Allen finished with two of Oakland’s four hits.
–Field Level Media
