Graveman continues to be steady presence

OAKLAND — The last time the Orioles saw Kendall Graveman, they pounded him for four homers and six runs in a May 8 A’s loss, chasing him after 2 2/3 innings. Graveman said he left far too many fastballs without much movement over the plate. They made it hurt.

Exactly three months later, Graveman made the most of a second crack at one of baseball’s best lineups Monday night at the Coliseum, holding the Orioles to one run over seven innings in a 3-2 A’s win.

“He was outstanding against arguably one of the toughest lineups,” Oakland catcher Stephen Vogt said.

Graveman had been 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA in five career appearances against the O’s. He mixed all four pitches effectively, utilizing his sinker and a cutter that A’s manager Bob Melvin said was his best of the year to set up his breaking ball.

The result? Fourteen ground-ball outs, his career-high eighth win and the fourth time in six starts he finished at least seven innings.

“I thought early we stuck with the fastball and got some early outs,” Graveman said. “Second and third time through we started mixing in some of the breaking balls I haven’t thrown in four, five weeks and it got some hitters …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com