McCarthy, bullpen impress in tie with A's

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Unable to score in the final five innings, the D-backs and A's played to a 2-2 tie Friday in front of a sellout crowd at Salt River Fields.

Starters Brandon McCarthy and Bartolo Colon each threw four innings and gave up a pair of earned runs before the clubs' bullpens finished the game without allowing a run.

The D-backs jumped on Colon early, scoring twice in the first inning on four singles, three of which came with two outs.

After homering and driving in three runs Wednesday, Gerardo Parra collected two more hits and another RBI in his second game since returning from his hitless World Baseball Classic stint with Team Venezuela.

"He's been good," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. "He didn't get any hits in the [Classic], but he came back with a great attitude. He has played well, we missed him."

Later in the fourth, Oakland responded with a two-out rally of its own, tying the game on back-to-back RBI doubles from Seth Smith and John Jaso.

The A's appeared poised to take their first lead of the game in the eighth inning when they worked the bases loaded with one out, but D-backs center fielder Evan Marzilli threw out Adam Rosales at home to end the threat on a double play. Oakland manager Bob Melvin didn't agree with the call and immediately ran out of the visiting dugout to argue with home plate umpire Jonathan Saphire.

Continuing his hot start to the spring, D-backs reliever Brad Ziegler tossed his fourth consecutive shutout inning, while fellow bullpen arm Matt Reynolds bounced back from a couple rough outings to record his first clean frame since March 2. Tony Sipp, another projected reliever, also threw a perfect inning against the A's, his third straight.

On the Oakland side after Colon exited, Jordan Norberto and Ryan Cook went toe-to-toe with their Arizona counterparts, combining for three strikeouts over three scoreless frames in the middle innings.

Up next: The D-backs will travel across town on Saturday to face the Padres at the Peoria Sports Complex at 1:05 p.m. MST. Ian Kennedy and J.J. Putz are both slated to throw along with Tyler Skaggs as he continues his effort to win the fifth spot in the club's rotation. Competing against Patrick Corbin and Randall Delgado, Skaggs has appeared three games this spring so far, allowing nine earned runs on 11 hits over 6 1/3 combined innings.