Montero's slam leads D-Backs over A's
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Miguel Montero hit the second grand slam of his career and the Arizona Diamondbacks clobbered the Oakland Athletics, 8-3, on Saturday.
Jason Kubel went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored while Paul Goldschmidt extended his career-high hitting streak to 16 games with an RBI single in the eighth for the Diamondbacks, who have won four straight and six of seven.
Former A's pitcher Trevor Cahill (4-5) gave up just two runs on seven hits with three walks and seven strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings to win his second straight start.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He came up with a cutter or a slider or something we hadn't seen before," said A's manager Bob Melvin. "He's had a slider, but it looked like something that was more like a cutter and he got some big outs with it."
Cliff Pennington went 3-for-4 with a run scored while Jemile Weeks, Jonny Gomes and Kurt Suzuki each drove in a run for the Athletics, who have lost three of their last five games. Jarrod Parker (2-3) was tagged for six runs on eight hits with five walks and four strikeouts over just five innings.
Montero's grand slam came in a five-run fifth inning that broke a 1-1 tie.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gerardo Parra and Willie Bloomquist hit one-out singles before Justin Upton doubled home Parra. After Kubel was issued an intentional walk, Goldschmidt struck out. Montero then stepped to the plate and drove a 1-1 fastball into the concourse area well behind right field for his fourth homer of the season and a 6-1 lead.
"That was big," said Arizona manager Kirk Gibson. "Goldy struck out and he picked him up. That was huge. But that's what contributions from many (players does)."
Cahill gave up a leadoff single to Josh Reddick in the sixth, but stranded him there after setting down the next three batters.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The seventh saw Oakland get consecutive singles from Suzuki and Pennington to start the inning, but Josh Donaldson hit into a fielder's choice and Cahill then got Weeks to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.
A pair of walks sandwiched by a Reddick groundout in the eighth saw Cahill chased from the game.
Brad Ziegler came on and gave up a single to Brandon Inge before a Gomes sacrifice fly made it a four-run game. Suzuki then hit into a fielder's choice to end the frame.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Arizona got the run back and another in the eighth on RBI singles from Kubel and Goldschmidt while Weeks' RBI double in the ninth accounted for the final score.
Arizona took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Bloomquist hit a one-out single and later stole second before coming home on a Kubel single to right.
Oakland answered in the second as Brandon Moss worked a two-out walk and Suzuki followed with a double to right.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Game Notes
Melvin was ejected by home plate umpire Tim McClelland following the fifth inning...Cahill and Parker were part of a multi-player trade last season that saw the two switch teams...Oakland left nine men on base and went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position while Arizona stranded 10 and were 5-for-12 with RISP.