Cahill, Sweeney lead Athletics past Orioles 8-1

BALTIMORE (AP) - Trevor Cahill pitched seven innings of four-hit ball to earn his seventh straight win, and the Oakland Athletics got four hits from Ryan Sweeney in an 8-1 rout of the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.

Sweeney, Jack Cust and Cliff Pennington had two RBIs apiece for the A's, who took two of three for their first road series win in five tries since May 29-31 in Detroit. Oakland has won four series away from home, half of them in Baltimore.

Cahill (8-2) gave up a run, struck out four and walked one. After starting the season in Triple-A Sacramento and losing two of his first three starts with Oakland, the right-hander is 7-0 with a 2.12 ERA over his past nine starts.

Sweeney's four hits (all singles) tied a career high. He was 10 for 56 (.179) in his previous 17 games.

Baltimore rookie Jake Arrieta (2-2) allowed four runs, three earned, and seven hits in six innings.

After Arrieta left, Oakland scored four seventh-inning runs against a bullpen that boasted an 0.77 ERA over the previous six games.

Josh Bell made his major league debut as Baltimore's starting third baseman after being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk earlier in the day. Bell went 1 for 4 and started two double plays in the field, but his throwing error in the fifth inning contributed to an unearned run.

The Orioles went up 1-0 in the first when Corey Patterson doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nick Markakis, only his fifth RBI in 20 games. It was the first time this season Cahill allowed a first-inning run.

Oakland answered with three runs in the second. Cust hit an RBI double, and Pennington received credit for a two-run double when Patterson fell down after misjudging his liner to left.

Sweeney hit an RBI single in the fifth, and Oakland sent 10 batters to the plate in seventh against relievers Frank Mata and Matt Albers. Sweeney singled in a run and Cust hit an RBI double before Mark Ellis and Gabe Gross delivered run-scoring singles.

NOTES: Oakland 1B Daric Barton left in fifth inning with a bruised right knee. ... US soccer coach Bob Bradley threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... The Orioles placed DH/1B Luke Scott on 15-day DL with a strained left hamstring. ... Oakland LHP Dallas Braden experienced no pain in his elbow during a bullpen session and expects to start Saturday vs. Cleveland. ... Despite the loss, Baltimore finished 5-4 on its second winning homestand of the season.