Jose Ramirez hit the go-ahead two-run double as the visiting Cleveland Guardians scored four in the fifth, beating the Athletics 14-6 on Saturday afternoon in West Sacramento, Calif.

Austin Hedges, David Fry and Kyle Manzardo went deep for the Guardians, who will go for the sweep on Sunday after taking the first two games of the series.

Shea Langeliers had a banner day for the A’s, hitting his team-high ninth and 10th home runs of the season. The Athletics took a 2-0 lead on the first of those Langeliers long balls, a two-run shot off Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi (1-4) in the first inning.

Hedges responded for the Guardians with a solo shot in the third, before the Athletics answered back with a run of their own in the fourth on a Jeff McNeil RBI single.

Hedges started the big rally in the fifth with a double. He scored on Steven Kwan’s bloop single, Angel Martinez followed with another single and then Ramirez’s double scored Kwan and Martinez to give Cleveland its first lead of the game.

Rhys Hoskins’ sacrifice fly completed the nightmare inning for A’s starting pitcher Jacob Lopez (2-2), who took the loss after allowing six runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings.

After Langeliers and Fry traded solo shots, McNeil got his second RBI of the game with a sac fly in the sixth and the A’s were threatening to tie or take the lead with runners on the corners. Hedges came up with the defensive play of the game to end the inning, a perfectly executed back-pick of Lawrence Butler at first base.

Cleveland poured it on in the later innings. In the seventh, Fry drew a bases-loaded walk and Travis Bazzana knocked in two with a single up the middle. It was the perfect time for Bazzana’s first major league hit after he was 0-for-12 at the plate to begin his career.

Manzardo added on with a pinch-hit three-run homer in the eighth. Colin Holderman gave up an RBI single to Nick Kurtz in the bottom of the inning, but he forced Langeliers to pop out to leave the bases loaded.

Cleveland plated two more in the ninth to complete the blowout win.

Kurtz went 2-for-5 but failed to walk to end his streak of 20 straight games with at least one free pass. It ties with Barry Bonds (2002-03) for second all-time behind record-holder Roy Cullenbine of the 1947 Detroit Tigers with 22 games in a row.

–Field Level Media

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored 15 runs in the first four innings and took advantage of record wildness from Cincinnati pitching to register another blowout win over the Reds, 17-7, Saturday in Pittsburgh.

Since losing 2-0 to Cincinnati in the first meeting on March 30, Pittsburgh has won the last four by a combined 42-14 score.

Rookie Konnor Griffin doubled, tripled and went 4-for-5 while driving in two, while Ryan O’Hearn doubled and drove in three as the top eight hitters in the Pirates lineup each had at least one hit while seven batters had at least two hits.

Pittsburgh right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski (2-2) was the beneficiary of the offensive outburst, scattering eight hits and five runs over 5 2/3 innings, striking out 10 and walking two for just his second win in seven starts.

For a second straight day, the game was played in raw conditions, with a game-time temperature of 43 degrees.

Pittsburgh reliever Chris Devenski was ejected for throwing inside near the ribcage of Sal Stewart to open the seventh inning. Stewart took exception and stared out at the mound. But the encounter did not escalate as umpires intervened.

Cincinnati starter Rhett Lowder (3-2) appeared miserable in the cold and struggled badly early. Lowder was unable to find his rhythm or command while allowing four runs before there were two outs in the first inning. The five runs allowed in the first inning were a career high for the right-hander.

Lowder labored through 30 pitches in the first as O’Hearn, Marcell Ozuna and Griffin all doubled in the five-run outburst. Lowder then walked the bases loaded in the second and was pulled after a career-short 1 1/3 innings, charged with eight runs on five hits, four walks and one strikeout.

Reliever Connor Phillips walked all four batters he faced, forcing in four runs, throwing 21 pitches, only five for strikes as the Pirates scored five more runs in the second without benefit of a hit in the inning, with Cincinnati walking seven straight batters.

The last time seven straight walks were issued in a Major League game came on May 25, 1983, when three different Pirates pitchers walked seven in a row at Atlanta in a 6-0 Braves win.

The five runs in the second inning without benefit of a base hit marked the first time since April 27, 1994, that a team allowed at least five runs in an inning without giving up a hit when Seattle allowed five runs to the New York Yankees in the top of the third inning.

–Field Level Media

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — History was made Saturday at Churchill Downs as Golden Tempo made Cherie DeVaux the first female trainer to saddle a Kentucky Derby winner as the 23-1 longshot edged Renegade by a neck at the wire.

DeVaux, who has saddled 298 winners in 1,802 career starts, joined Jena Antonucci, who trained Arcangelo in the 2023 Belmont Stakes, as the only female trainers to win Triple Crown races.

Sired by Curlin, Golden Tempo made his way to Louisville by winning the Lecomte Stakes and finishing third in both the Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby — all races held at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans.

Renegade, the morning-line favorite at 4-1, also sought to make history by becoming the first horse to win out of the inside gate in 40 years. Midway through the race, he was 15 lengths back. However, under Irad Ortiz Jr., he made a mad dash down the stretch, only to be outdueled by the colt ridden by Jose Ortiz, Irad’s brother.

Renegade charged outside and took the lead late, only for Golden Tempo to go one lane farther outside and overtake Renegade just before the wire.

In going the 1-1/4 miles in 2:02.27, Golden Tempo paid $48.24 to win, $19.14 to place and $11.90 to show. Renegade, who went off as the second choice behind Further Ado, paid $7.14 and $5.46, while Ocelli paid $36.34.

The start to the chilliest Derby since 1989 was delayed several minutes when Great White dropped his jockey and rolled over while waiting to enter the gate. That led to him being a last-minute scratch and prompted track officials to unload and reload the starting gate.

Great White appeared fine as he trotted off the track.

Saturday’s Kentucky Derby was the first race in thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown. The next leg is the Preakness Stakes, which takes place on Saturday, May 16, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. Laurel will host the race this year while Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course undergoes a $400 million renovation.

–Steve Bittenbender, Field Level Media