German_Force » the area throughout the weekend.

When Paul Blackburn needed 47 pitches to make it through the first two innings Kendall Fuller Jersey , it didn’t seem he would last long for the Oakland Athletics.

Then Blackburn found his groove and led the streaking A’s to another win.

Blackburn pitched shutout ball into the seventh inning and Oakland won its fifth straight game, beating the Cleveland Indians 3-1 on Friday night.

”It was just finding a tempo and rhythm,” Blackburn said. ”It’s something I’ve struggled with the first couple of innings. Once I get over that hump in the second inning, I feel like everything is more put together.”

Marcus Semien and Khris Davis drove in runs against Trevor Bauer (7-6) as the A’s followed up a four-game sweep at Detroit with a win in the opener of a five-game homestand.

Jed Lowrie provided insurance with a solo homer in the eighth off Zach McAllister to move Oakland a season-high seven games over .500.

”Games like that, it feels like a 10-run homer,” manager Bob Melvin said. ”The guys coming to the plate get your attention in the last inning. It was paramount. It gives you a little bit of wiggle room.”

Blake Treinen allowed two baserunners in the ninth before earning his 21st save in 23 chances. He has converted 18 straight save opportunities.

Blackburn (2-2) had a 12.70 ERA his past three starts and struggled early against Cleveland, with four of the first seven batters reaching base safely. But a caught stealing and a double play helped him make it through the first two innings unscathed and he settled down from there.

He retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced, allowing only a two-out walk to Yonder Alonso in the fourth before leaving after retiring Edwin Encarnacion to open the seventh. Blackburn allowed three hits and struck out five.

Francisco Lindor hit an RBI double off Yusmeiro Petit in the eighth inning for Cleveland.

The A’s, who score nearly two fewer runs per game at home than on the road, managed to get single runs against Bauer in the second and sixth innings. Matt Olson doubled in the second and scored on Semien’s two-out hit.

Oakland added an insurance run in the sixth when Matt Joyce singled and scored on Davis’ double.

”He seemed to be very patient so I wanted to make a point of getting ahead in that count,” Bauer said. ”He hit a bad pitch. He’s a good hitter. That’s what you’re supposed to do with hanging breaking balls Danny Amendola Jersey , hit them.”

Bauer allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out eight. His 148 strikeouts are the most for a Cleveland pitcher before the end of June since Sam McDowell had 151 in 1970.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: Manager Terry Francona said the team will have a decision soon on the status of injured starter Danny Salazar, who has been on the DL all season with a right shoulder injury. Francona said the team is ”exploring some things” and said he would have more information in the next couple of days.

Athletics: 3B Matt Chapman (hand) took grounders and hit off a tee. He will take BP on Sunday and could be back as early as next week. … RHP Andrew Triggs (right arm nerve irritation) had his rehab shut down because he felt tingling in fingers. He will get a second opinion next week. … RHP Trevor Cahill (right Achilles) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session and will either have a lengthier bullpen session or simulation game next in his rehab.

UP NEXT

Edwin Jackson (0-0) makes his second start for Oakland after allowing one run in six innings of a no-decision in his debut against Detroit. His nine-game winning streak against Cleveland is the longest since Storm Davis also won nine straight vs. the Indians from 1986-92. Adam Plutko (4-1) starts for Cleveland.

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BOSTON — Having rallied twice to survive a wild 14-10 shootout on Friday night, the Boston Red Sox send a new ace to the mound in the second game of a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.

Eduardo Rodriguez, winner of six straight starts, is 9-1 on the season, with his team winning 13 of his 14 outings. He will be Boston’s starter Saturday and will face Mike Leake in a rematch of last Sunday’s Boston win in Seattle.

On a day an ABC News report broke that former Red Sox DH Hanley Ramirez was involved in federal and state drug investigations, his former team spotted Seattle four runs in the first inning. The Red Sox immediately caught up and went ahead in the bottom of the first but then trailed 10-5 before charging back again.

After their bats snoozed through the first two games in Minnesota, the Red Sox have scored 23 runs on 36 hits in the last two games — coming back Friday to hand the Mariners their fifth straight loss, including four on their current 10-game AL East road trip.

“It would be easy to give up in that kind of situation, just kind of coast through the game Patrick Chung Jersey , but we kept fighting,” said Andrew Benintendi, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored in the win.

According to STATS, Friday’s game marked the first time since September 1945 that the Red Sox won a game in which they had a pitcher (Steven Wright) give up 10 or more earned runs.

The Mariners’ pitching failure wasted a two-homer, seven-RBI game by Nelson Cruz.

“It is disappointing,” said Mariners manager Scott Servais. “You’ve got a five-run lead, you think you’re in pretty good shape. They’ve got a good hitting ball club, but we didn’t execute, we didn’t pitch real well tonight and that’s what happens.”

The Red Sox cut the New York Yankees’ division lead to a game and now turn to Rodriguez, who has pitched to a 1.53 ERA during his winning streak, which was capped by his win in Seattle in his last start. In that game on Sunday Ryan Fitzpatrick Jersey , he gave up two runs on six hits and one walk over six innings in a 9-3 Boston victory.

His recent success has lowered his season ERA to 3.59.

Leake (7-4, 4.47 ERA), who is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in five career starts against Boston, allowed eight hits and five earned runs in six innings last weekend — after five straight starts of allowing two runs or fewer. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA in two career Fenway starts.

Rodriguez is 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA in four career starts against the Mariners.

Game 2 of the series will take place with the physical status of the rival shortstops uncertain.

Seattle’s Jean Segura missed his second straight game with a forearm infection, while counterpart Xander Bogaerts left Friday night’s game with a sprained left index finger after diving into second on a stolen base.

“Jean actually saw a doctor this morning,” Servais said before Friday night’s game. “They tried to draw some of the infection out, but he’s still pretty sore. He’s not in the lineup tonight, of course.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Bogaerts is day-to-day and added Bogaerts was due for a day off Saturday night, anyway.

As you might have guessed from the 6.75 ERA in five starts against Boston, Red Sox hitters have strong numbers in their at-bats against Leake. Rafael Devers is 3-for-5 (.600) with a homer, Brock Holt 4-for-9 (.444) Will Dissly Jersey , Bogaerts 5-for-12 (.417), Benintendi 3-for-8 (.375), J.D. Martinez 4-for-11 (.364) with a homer, and Mookie Betts 3-for-9 (.333). Eduardo Nunez is just 2-for-9 (.222).

For the Mariners, Dee Gordon is 4-for-5 (.800), Segura 3-for-6 (.500) and Ben Gamel 3-for-7 (.429) against Rodriguez, but Mitch Haniger is 0-for-6, Ryon Healy 1-for-12 (.083), Nelson Cruz 1-for-10 (.100), Guillermo Heredia 2-for-12 (.167) and Kyle Seager 2-for-9 (.222).

Both weekend games could be threatened by rain that is expected to be in the area throughout the weekend.

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