Parker, Moss Lead A's To Sweep Of Rockies
DENVER (CBS / AP) -- Jarrod Parker allowed three hits over seven scoreless innings and Brandon Moss drove in three runs, helping the Oakland Athletics beat the slumping Colorado Rockies 8-2 on Thursday for their first series sweep on the road since the end of the 2010 season.
Parker (3-3) was bumped up a spot in the rotation due to Brandon McCarthy's sore shoulder. The righty allowed just three singles before being lifted for a reliever after throwing an efficient 89 pitches. Parker struck out six and walked just one.
Moss has been swinging a hot bat since being brought up from Triple-A Sacramento on June 6. He hit his fifth homer in eight games, a solo shot to right-center in the ninth. He also had a two-run double in the third.
Josh Reddick added a solo shot into the second deck in right field for his 15th homer of the season.
The Rockies played shoddy defense as they dropped their season-high eighth straight. They committed three errors and catcher Wilin Rosario had two passed balls.
Starter Alex White (2-5) surrendered four runs—two earned—in four innings before giving way to Guillermo Moscoso, who pitched three effective innings.
By then, the damage was done and the A's put the finishing touches on a three-game sweep.
The Rockies remain the only team in the majors this season without an interleague win. They're now 0-9, but still remain one of the NL's top teams since 2006. The Rockies are 56-46 in interleague play during that time.
Parker was in control the entire way, allowing just one runner to reach as far as third base. Even then, he quickly quieted the threat by striking out Carlos Gonzalez with an 83-mph changeup to end the sixth.
The 23-year-old Parker was recalled from Sacramento on April 25 and has been a solid contributor in the rotation.
With this performance, he lowered his ERA from 3.19 to 2.82. He's now given up one or less runs in four of his last five outings.
Parker relies on a 94-mph fastball, with an effective breaking ball mixed in along with a baffling changeup.
Oakland jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second when third baseman Jordan Pacheco misfired to first on Adam Rosales' slow roller. The throw was in the dirt and Tyler Colvin, who was filling in for the sure-handed Todd Helton, couldn't scoop out the throw as Moss easily scored, along with a hustling Kurt Suzuki.
Moss provided a little more insurance in the third when he laced a double that clanged off the scoreboard in right.
The Rockies got on the scoreboard in the ninth when Marco Scutaro lined a solo homer to left off former Rockies closer Brian Fuentes. Colvin soon followed with an RBI double before Fuentes ended the game by striking out Rosario.
The A's were missing slugger Yoenis Cespedes a day after he left because of a strained left hamstring.
Manager Bob Melvin said Cespedes will do some running drills when the team returns to Oakland to test out the hamstring. He could possibly serve as the designated hitter for a weekend series against San Diego.
Cespedes originally injured the hamstring last Thursday while running out a grounder against Texas.
The Cuban rookie tweaked it again running out a grounder in the first inning Wednesday.
The Rockies may be without All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki a little longer as the team said he will undergo a precautionary MRI after aggravating a groin injury in a rehab assignment.
Tulowitzki took himself out of a game Wednesday at Triple-A Colorado Springs after feeling not quite right.
Manager Jim Tracy said Tulowitzki went through strength tests on Thursday morning at Coors Field and the MRI was simply because, "they want to rule out anything that possibly could be missed just by visual observation."
Tulowitzki is eligible to come off the DL on Friday in Detroit, but Tracy wasn't sure if Tulowitzki would make the trip with the team.
NOTES: McCarthy was scheduled to played catch Thursday, but Melvin said he considers him doubtful for his start Saturday. ... There was a haze off in the distance from a massive northern Colorado wildfire.
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