A's 4, Rockies 1
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland A's right-hander Jesse Hahn pitched six strong innings and Billy Butler and Billy Burns gave him all the offensive support he needed Wednesday afternoon in a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies at O.co Coliseum.
Hahn (6-6) gave up one run and four hits and posted his fourth win in his past five decisions. He struck out six and walked two.
Butler, known for his hitting but not his speed, went 2-for-3 with his fifth career triple, drove in a run, scored once and walked. Burns, a speedy center fielder, went 2-for-4 with a triple and a double, scored two runs and walked once.
Right-hander Tyler Clippard got the final four outs for his 14th save.
Oakland (36-45) reached the halfway point in its season nine games below .500
Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis (4-3) gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings as his two-game winning streak ended. He struck out four and walked none but threw 111 pitches.
Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado went 0-for-4, snapping his 17-game hitting streak, which had been the longest active streak in the major leagues.
Colorado (34-44) lost for the fourth time in its past five games and fell to 1-8 in interleague games.
The A's scored an improbable run in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. Butler, the A's designated hitter, led off with his first triple since 2012. Then with one out, he tagged up and scored on second baseman Eric Sogard's sacrifice fly to shallow left field.
Butler got some help from Rockies left fielder Rafael Ynoa on both the triple and the run. Butler hit a deep line drive and Ynoa crashed into the left field wall while trying to catch it. Ynoa stayed on the ground and Butler kept running as the ball caromed away. Butler scored easily on Sogard's sacrifice fly when Ynoa's throw barely got back to the infield.
The A's made it 2-0 in the third when Burns hit a leadoff triple into the right field corner and scored on right fielder Josh Reddick's two-out single.
Colorado answered with a run in the fourth when first baseman Ben Paulsen and catcher Nick Hundley had back-to-back doubles with two outs.
But the A's scored a run in fifth to make it 3-1. Burns hit a one-out double and Butler drove him in with a bases-load single to right with two outs.
Oakland scored once more in the seventh.
Home plate umpire Tom Hallion took a hard foul ball off his mask with two outs in the top of the first inning and couldn't continue. First base umpire Alfonso Marquez took over behind the plate and the rest of the game was played with three umpires.
NOTES: A's RHP Sonny Gray, who missed his scheduled start Tuesday, has been diagnosed with severe bacterial gastroenteritis. He is expected to be released from the hospital Wednesday night or Thursday morning. He is being treated with antibiotics and fluids. "I spoke to Sonny this morning," said A's team physician Dr. Allan Pont. "He's getting much better. He's had no fever. He's actually rounding into shape." A's manager Bob Melvin said he doesn't know whether Gray will make his next scheduled start on Sunday against Seattle. ... Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki was out of lineup, getting a scheduled day off. "It's a quick turnaround, a routine day off," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. ... A's RHP Chris Bassitt, who filled in for Gray on Tuesday, will start again Sunday if Gray isn't ready. ... Weiss said he will go with a closer-by-committee while closer John Axford is on the family medical emergency list. RHP LaTroy Hawkins, who got a save Tuesday, is one option. RHPs Scott Oberg and Tommy Kahnle are two others.