OAKLAND — Chris Smith became the latest A’s pitcher to get bit by the home run bug.
The 36-year-old right-hander entered the night having allowed only five round-trippers in 24 innings this season, but he surrendered four in just six innings of work in Thursday’s 7-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
Smith allowed back-to-back home runs on consecutive pitches to Adam Jones and Trey Mancini in the fourth. The same exact sequence occurred in the sixth as Smith allowed another home run to Mancini and Mark Trumbo to dig the A’s in a 5-1 hole. It was the seventh home run the A’s staff had allowed in its last 14 innings pitched.