A’s win 4th in row for 1st time this year, beat Brewers in 10 innings

MILWAUKEE — The Oakland Athletics stretched a winning streak to four for the first time since last season, beating the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 on Saturday behind Aledmys Díaz’s RBI single in the 10th inning.

Even with the winning streak, the A’s (16-50) are on pace to finish 39-123, the most losses since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders went 20-134.

Paul Blackburn and four relievers combined on a six-hitter for Oakland, which has a major league-high 6.40 ERA. The A’s had not won four straight since ending last season with a victory at Seattle followed by a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels.

Shintaro Fujinami (3-6) pitched around a walk in the ninth, and Sam Long got three straight outs in the 10th for his first save this season and the second in his big league career.

JJ Bleday hit a run-scoring forceout in the fifth and pinch-hitter William Contreras tied the score in the eighth with a home run off Richard Lovelady. After Contreras’ eighth home run this season, he put on a cheesehead in the dugout celebration.

Milwaukee (34-31) remained one percentage point behind Pittsburgh (33-30) in the NL Central. The Brewers went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners.

Blackburn allowed four hits in six scoreless innings, struck out five and walked one.

Julio Teheran allowed one run, six hits and one walk over a season-high seven innings. He has a 1.48 ERA in four starts since signing with the Brewers on May 25 but has gotten just four runs of support __ none over his last 15 innings.

Milwaukee centerfielder Joey Wiemer had a pair of assists in the second inning, getting Ramon Laureano trying to stretch a leadoff single into a double then teaming with shortstop Willy Adames to throw out Jonah Bride trying to score on Díaz’s single.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: RHP Freddy Tarnok (strained right shoulder) pitched two innings during a rehab assignment with Oakland’s Arizona Complex League affiliate on Friday.

Brewers: OF Tyrone Taylor received a cortisone shot in his ailing right elbow, which has been an issue since the end of last season.

UP NEXT

RHP Freddy Peralta (5-5, 4.55 ERA) starts Sunday for Milwaukee and LHP JP Sears (0-3, 4.20) for Oakland.