Oakland one up on Anaheim; no Griffey homer

OAKLAND, Calif.(AP) -- Offensively, the Athletics never had a

three-game series like this since moving to Oakland.

Damian Miller hit a grand slam and the Athletics won their fifth

straight, setting season highs for hits and runs in a 17-8 victory

over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night and moving into first

place in the AL West.

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Ken Griffey Jr. remained stalled at 498 homers after not

connecting in a series in which Oakland scored 40 runs and had 51

hits -- 22 Wednesday. The 40 runs were the most the A's have scored

in a three-game set since moving to Oakland in 1968.

"They had great discipline from their hitters," Reds catcher

Jason LaRue said. "They never swung at anything bad."

The A's improved to 15-0 against the NL Central -- 6-0 against

the Reds.

Griffey, who is two homers away from becoming the 20th player to

hit 500, was supposed to lead off the top of the ninth, but Wily Mo

Pena pinch-hit for him and struck out.

Griffey was not available after the game.

"I just wanted to give a couple of guys an AB," Reds manager

Dave Miley said. "And it's a day off Thursday."

The closest Griffey, who went 2-for-4, came to a homer was a

line drive single off the right-field fence in the fourth inning.

"I hung one to him there," A's starter Rich Harden said. "He

could have hit that 500 feet."

With the loss, the Reds dropped into a first-place tie with St.

Louis, which beat the Chicago Cubs.

Jose Acevedo (3-5) gave up 10 hits and eight runs in the first

three innings, highlighted by Miller's fifth career grand slam in

the third.

Oakland's Marco Scutaro doubled home two runs in a three-run

second and scored on a single by Billy McMillon.

Jermaine Dye opened the A's third with a bloop single that fell

between three Reds in shallow center field. Scott Hatteberg singled

and one out later Bobby Crosby walked on five pitches. Miller then

hit a full-count pitch for his first slam since June 2, 2002,

against San Diego when he played for Arizona.

Miller also drove in five runs Tuesday with a pair of doubles

and now has 14 RBI in the last four games. Seven of his last eight

hits have gone for extra bases.

Harden (3-3) was staked to an 11-0 lead in his first victory

since May 12 -- five starts. Harden gave up only three hits until

the sixth when the Reds chased him by scoring five runs, four

unearned, after his error on a play at first base.

Adam Dunn hit his major league-leading 18th homer, a two-run

shot in the seventh inning off reliever Justin Duchscherer. One out

later, Jacob Cruz cut the lead to 11-8 with a solo homer, his

second of the year.

But the A's scored six runs off John Riedling in their half of

the seventh, capped by Erubiel Durazo's two-run homer, his 10th.

Oakland scored three times in the fourth off Phil Norton to go

up 11-0, two on an error by first baseman Sean Casey.

Game notes
Reds catcher LaRue was taken out of the game with what was

described as a bruised left hand after being hit by a pitch from

Harden in the sixth inning. ... Hatteberg's single in the third

inning extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games.