Brent Rooker and Max Schuemann hit three-run homers in the Oakland Athletics’ loss to the Baltimore Orioles

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Brent Rooker and Max Schuemann hit 3 home runs and the Oakland Athletics had 5 home runs in a 19-8 rout of the Orioles in Baltimore on Saturday.

He homered in each of the first four innings for the first time since 2003, with Shea Langeliers and Tyler Nevin also leaving the park. Kyle McCann hit a two-run shot in the eighth. Oakland led 10-0 after two innings and 17-1 after six.

“Everybody’s raking,” McCann said.

“It’s good to see the team hitting like that because later on, you can build off of it,” he added. “Hitting is contagious.”

Rooker, who had three hits and drove in four runs, put the A’s up 3-0 in the first. Schuemann’s blast in the second came during a seven-run inning in which eight consecutive Oakland batters reached base.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay called the game his team’s best offensive performance of the season. Oakland, which scored 20 runs against the Marlins on May 4, is the only team to score 19 or more runs in multiple games this season.

“They didn’t give their at-bats,” Kotsay said. “Even though we had a nice lead, they kept getting good quality at-bats. They didn’t try to hit home runs. They just kept getting pitches in the zone that they can handle and that’s great from them today.”

Langeliers added a 2-run homer in the third, his 17th of the season to lead all catchers. Nevin’s blast put the A’s up 13-1 in the fourth. Miguel Andujar added three hits and drove in three runs. Nevin and Brett Harris also had three hits each. Oakland had 18 hits and Baltimore had 16 before an announced crowd of 8,526 at the Coliseum.

Baltimore’s 19 runs and 18 hits were season highs.

“These kinds of games happen, and unfortunately we gave up a lot of runs,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said.

The A’s have won four of five, while the Orioles – who have the third-best winning percentage in baseball – are in danger of dropping both series against Oakland this season with a loss on Sunday. Oakland has scored at least five points in four of its last five games.

“We know we have a good group here,” McCann said. “At the start of the season, we didn’t do what we thought we would, but we’ll finish the second half strong.”

Oakland chased Baltimore starter Cade Povich (1-3) before he even recorded an out in the second inning. Povich, making his sixth career start and first career win, gave up eight runs in his shortest start.

“It doesn’t matter what team it is,” Povich said. “At this level, if you don’t come out with the best stuff, it’s going to happen to you.”

A’s starter Luis Medina (2-3) allowed one run and six hits in five innings.

Adley Rutschman hit a 3-run homer in the seventh for the Orioles, who scored seven runs in the final three innings from the A’s bullpen. James McCann, a catcher, pitched the eighth for the Orioles with the team down 11 runs.

NUMBER BITES

Athletics: LHP Sean Newcomb and IF Aledmys Díaz were released before the game. Both had been designated for assignment earlier in the week.

IT FOLLOWS

RHP Mitch Spence (5-4, 4.15 ERA) pitched for the A’s against RHP Grayson Rodriguez (10-3, 3.45 ERA) for the Orioles in the final game of the three-game set.

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