Reds rally to beat A's
CINCINNATI -- Anthony DeSclafani made his season debut allowing only one run over six innings as the Cincinnati Reds rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics in the opener of a three-game interleague series Friday night at Great American Ball Park.
Sonny Gray, making his second start since coming off the disabled list last Sunday, pitched 5 1/3 hitless innings before the Reds rallied to go ahead in the seventh. He allowed two runs and five hits in 7 2/3 innings.
Stephen Vogt homered for Oakland (25-35) which has lost six straight.
DeSclafani pitched well for Cincinnati (23-38) after beginning the season on the disabled list with an oblique injury, scattering eight hits through six innings but left trailing only 1-0. He was efficient as well in his debut, throwing 65 of 102 pitches for strikes.
Oakland had a chance to add to its lead in the sixth but Khris Davis was thrown out easily at home trying to score on a contact play.
Gray (3-6) had his no-hitter broken up by catcher Tucker Barnhart's single with one out in the sixth. The wheels came off for the A's right-hander an inning later.
The Reds tied the score 1-1 in the seventh when Brandon Phillips singled and scored on Adam Duvall's double.
Duvall later scored on Gray's second wild pitch of the inning to put Cincinnati ahead 2-1. That gave Gray a league-leading 11 wild pitches this season.
Blake Wood (5-1) pitched two scoreless innings for Cincinnati to earn the victory. Left-hander Tony Cingrani pitched the ninth for sixth save.
DeSclafani showed the typical rust after not pitching in a big-league game since September, scattering six hits in the first three innings. He was able to limit the damage but did give up Stephen Vogt's fifth home run of the season to put the A's ahead 1-0 in the third. Gray retired the first 10 batters he faced before walking Joey Votto in the fourth. But Votto was erased on an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
There were three hard-hit balls off Gray through his five no-hit innings.
Line drives to center by DeSclafani and Eugenio Suarez and a liner by Zack Cozart that was snared on a dive by second baseman Jed Lowrie.
NOTES: A's manager Bob Melvin confirmed that RHP Daniel Mengden will make his major league debut on Saturday. ... Reds CF Billy Hamilton was transferred to the seven-day concussion disabled list, opening a roster spot for RHP Anthony DeSclafani, who made his season debut on Friday after beginning the season on the DL with a left oblique strain. ... The A's recalled INF Max Muncy and RHP Zach Neal from Triple-A Nashville and optioned RHP Jesse Hahn to Triple-A.