PHILADELPHIA _ The Oakland Athletics, who have the worst road record in the league after losing two of three in Boston, got off on the right foot with a 4-0 win Friday over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The A's traveled to Philadelphia for the first time since 2011, to play a weekend series at Citizens Bank Park. The A's lost two of three to the eventual 102-game winning Phillies, but now, the times are different as both teams are in last place in their respective divisions playing for pride.
The A's wasted no time, spotting starter Daniel Mengden a two runs in the first. After Phillies' starter Mark Leiter Jr. retired the first to A's hitters, Jed Lowrie kept the inning alive with a walk. Matt Olson, batting cleanup for the first time in his career, belted a 483-foot home run into the second deck to give Oakland a 2-0 lead.
In the second inning, Leiter once again retired the first two A's hitters. Daniel Mengden, who was hitless in six career at-bats, ripped a single to left to collect his first major league hit. Mengden would just have to jog around the bases to score his first major league run when leadoff man Matt Joyce belted a two-run home run to right field.
Mengden, who came into the contest with a career ERA of 6.59 in 17 career starts, was facing a hot Phillies team _ winners of four of five, and fresh off a sweep of the Marlins in which they put up 27 runs in the series. The rookie was in complete command, tossing a two-hit shutout. Both hits came off the bat of Phillies' top prospect J.P. Crawford.
