TORONTO (AP) - Rod Barajas hit a three-run homer, Shaun Marcum pitched seven strong innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Oakland 5-1 Wednesday night to extend the Athletics' season-long losing streak to nine games.
MLB roundup
Thursday's action
- Mets win on Wright's walk-off HR
- Kershaw, Ramirez lead Dodgers to win
- Marlins' win gets them closer to 1st
- Nats hold down Rox, sweep DH
- Milledge powers Nats to Game 1 win
- Oswalt deals Astros a winner
- Jays erase 3-0 hole to beat A's
- Tigers put end to 6-game skid
- Moose leads Yanks to shutout win
- Morton, Braves hold off D-backs
- M's win on Ibanez's walk-off blast
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Oakland has been outscored 47-17 during the skid, managing no more than three runs in each of the losses.
The Athletics are a major league-worst 2-16 since the All-Star break and have lost seven straight road games, a season high.
Marcum (6-5) allowed one run and three hits to win for the first time in four starts since missing 27 games with a sore right elbow. He walked two and struck out seven.
The right-hander didn't allow a hit through the first five innings and had set down 13 straight batters, the final five on strikeouts, when Bobby Crosby homered to begin the sixth. It was Crosby's sixth of the season and second in three games.
Scott Downs worked the eighth and B.J. Ryan wrapped it up as Toronto won for the 13th time in 17 home games.
The Blue Jays got all the runs they needed in the first against Oakland left-hander Gio Gonzalez, who made his major league debut. Alex Rios hit a two-out double and Lyle Overbay walked before Barajas drove a 2-0 pitch into the second deck in left for his ninth homer.
Toronto added two more in the seventh on RBI grounders by John McDonald and pinch-hitter Matt Stairs.
Oakland loaded the bases with none out in the seventh but couldn't score. Frank Thomas was forced out at home on Mark Ellis' fielder's choice, with Barajas making a fine catch on a one-hop throw from McDonald at shortstop. Jack Hannahan, hitless in 15 at-bats, ended the inning by grounding into a 4-6-3 double play.
Gonzalez (0-1) recovered nicely from his shaky first, retiring 16 of the next 17 batters. He was lifted after Adam Lind's leadoff single in the seventh. Gonzalez allowed four runs and four hits.
Oakland starters are 1-11 with a 6.70 ERA in 18 games since the All-Star break.
Marcum pitched five hitless innings in his debut as a starter on May 13, 2007, against Tampa Bay, but was removed because of a high pitch count. He also took a no-hit bid into the seventh on Aug. 10, 2007, at Kansas City, but left with leg cramps after allowing a two-out hit to Billy Butler.
Notes
Marcum won for the first time since May 26 against Kansas City. ... The Athletics' last win was a 6-5 victory over Texas on July 27. ... Oakland RHP Sean Gallagher returned to California on Tuesday for an MRI exam because of irritation in his right shoulder. LHP Dan Meyer will start in Gallagher's place Saturday at Detroit, with Gallagher pushed back to next week.
