Surging A’s finish 7-3 road trip with sweep at Toronto

TORONTO - Daniel Mengden helped the surging Athletics finish off a sweep and gave Oakland’s beleaguered bullpen a much-needed break.

Mengden allowed two hits in seven shutout innings to win his second consecutive start, a 9-2 rout of the Toronto Blue Jays 9-2 on Sunday that completed a four-game sweep.

Marcus Semien hit a two-run home run and had three RBIs, and Matt Chapman had three hits and a walk as Oakland swept a four-game road series for the first time since September 2016 at Kansas City.

“We got swept here last year so it feels good to come out here and get some wins,” Chapman said.

Oakland lost four in a row at Toronto last July, including two walk-offs.

Toronto designated hitter Kendrys Morales had two of Toronto’s four hits and made his first big league pitching appearance with a scoreless ninth. Morales, who once pitched in the Cuban league, worked around a one-out walk and got three flyouts.

The A’s went 7-3 on a trip to New York, Boston, and Toronto, homering in every game. They are 12-4 against the AL East.

“It’s probably the toughest road trip we have all year, and to go 7-3 is amazing,” Mengden said. “We’re really hot right now.”

It’s Oakland’s first seven-win trip since April 2014, when the A’s swept Minnesota and went 2-1 against the Mariners and Angels.

Mengden (4-4) gave up two singles, struck out two and walked one.

“With an off day tomorrow, we’re caught up in our bullpen,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “That was big for us.”

Oakland relievers combined to pitch 18? innings over the first three games of the series. Right-hander Andrew Triggs left Thursday’s series opener in the third inning with a nerve irritation in a hand. Lefty Brett Anderson came out after one inning Friday because of a sore shoulder.

On Sunday, Oakland designated hitter Khris Davis left in the fourth inning because of a strained right groin. Davis was unable to run hard on his grounder to shortstop, limped off and headed down the tunnel to the clubhouse.

“He didn’t feel a pop, which is encouraging, but typically those things aren’t one or two days,” Melvin said.

Toronto was swept in a four-game home series for the first time since May 31 to June 3, 2001, against Boston. The Blue Jays have lost 12 of their past 15 at Rogers Centre, including six in a row, their longest home skid since July 2013.

Toronto had its first four-error game since May 18, 2014, at Texas, and the miscues led to five unearned runs. There were multiple rounds of boos from the crowd of 30,676.

“It was ugly,” manager John Gibbons said. “We’re on a bad stretch right now. We’re not playing real good baseball in a bunch of different areas.”

Third baseman Josh Donaldson made one fielding error and misplayed two other balls.

“I’ve got to be better, plain and simple,” Donaldson said.

Yangervis Solarte hit a two-run homer off Wilmer Font in the ninth.

Joe Biagini (0-3) allowed four runs - three earned - and six hits in four-plus innings. He has lost eight consecutive decisions, including relief appearances, and is 0-10 in 13 starts since winning at Texas on June 21, 2017.