ST. LOUIS — — Zack Gelof had four hits and Paul Blackburn pitched seven scoreless inning as the Oakland Athletics avoided a sweep in St. Louis with an 8-0 win over the Cardinals on Wednesday night.
Blackburn (3-3) turned in the longest outing of his season, allowing six hits, with eight strikeouts and one walk.
Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore (2-5) allowed six runs, five earned, in 4 1/3 innings. He gave up 10 hits, struck out five and walked three.
The A’s jumped on Liberatore early, batting around in the first inning.
Cardinals centerfielder Lars Nootbaar left the game in the sixth with a lower abdomen contusion, and shortstop Tommy Edman left the game after the seventh with a right calf contusion.
RHP Ryan Helsley (right forearm tightness) underwent a second MRI after feeling tightness between rehab appearances. INF Nolan Gorman (lower back tightness) missed his third successive game and C Willson Contreras (hip tightness) sat out a second straight game.
RHP Adam Wainwright (3-7, 8.78 ERA) will kick off a four-game series Thursday night against the visiting New York Mets, 5:20 with the pregame and the first pitch at 6:15 on KIRX.