ST. LOUIS >> With ace Frankie Montas serving an 80-game suspension, the Oakland A’s pitching staff has some slack to pick up. Minor league call-up Daniel Mengden did his part Wednesday.
The 26 year-old right-hander, with a fledgling Rollie Fingers moustache, blanked the St. Louis Cardinals in six efficient innings as the A’s beat St. Louis 2-0 to sweep the two-game interleague series at Busch Stadium.
Reserve catcher Beau Taylor bashed a solo home run over the right field wall in the fourth and third baseman Matt Chapman hit one — to left — in the seventh as Mengden raised his record to 2-1 in a season split between Oakland and Triple-A Las Vegas.