Blackley extends A's win streak to 4

OAKLAND – Brandon Moss homered in his fourth straight game, Travis Blackley earned his first victory in nearly eight years, and the A's beat the San Diego Padres 10-2 Friday night to extend their winning streak to four, their longest of the season.

Moss' two-run shot off starter Randy Bass (2-7) capped a five-run first inning and marked the sixth time in nine games that the A's first baseman has homered since being called up from the minors.

Josh Reddick and Cliff Pennington had two RBIs each for Oakland. The second-lowest-scoring team in the American League going into the game, the A's have scored 36 runs in their last four games.

Blackley (1-2) pitched six strong innings for his first win since July 1, 2004, when he made his major league debut with Seattle.

The left-hander wound up back in the minors with the Mariners and spent time with San Francisco, Philadelphia, Arizona and the New York Mets – he even pitched in Korea – trying to get back to the big leagues before the A's claimed him off waivers from the Giants.

Blackley pitched out of a jam in the first inning, then calmed down after giving up San Diego's second run an inning later. He retired 12 of the final 14 batters he faced, finishing with three strikeouts and two walks.

Evan Scribner allowed one runner over the final three innings for the A's for his first save.

Carlos Quentin had two hits and an RBI for San Diego, which lost for just the second time in seven interleague games this season.

Moss has provided a boost for the A's offense since being called up from the minors on June 6.

He homered in each of Oakland's three games at Colorado this week, then put the A's up 5-1 in the first inning against San Diego with a two-run blast off Bass.

It was the first time an A's player has hit a home run in four consecutive games since Jack Cust in 2007.

The Padres cut it to 5-2 when Alexi Amarista tripled and scored on Chris Denorfia's single in the second.

Pennington doubled in Collin Cowgill in the fourth, then scored on Coco Crisp's infield single, giving the A's 7-2 lead.

Bass (2-7), who has not won since going eight innings to beat Washington on May 15, struck out three and was charged with nine runs, seven earned.

Notes: The A's signed shortstop Addison Russell from Pace High School in Florida, their first-round selection in the 2012 first-year player draft.

Russell batted .358 with eight home runs and 33 RBI in 32 games for Pace this year. The 11th overall selection, he is the first high school pick by the A's in the first round since 2001, when they drafted Jeremy Bonderman with the 26th selection.

• The A's 36 runs are its most over a four-game stretch since they scored 48 from June 6-9, 2004.

• Pennington celebrated his 28th birthday Friday and has driven in at least one run on each of his last three birthdays.

Order Reprint