Taylor homers, doubles in loss to Brewers

PHOENIX -- Ryan Braun remained red hot Wednesday, hitting his second Spring Training home run in the Brewers' 7-2 win over the A's at Maryvale Baseball Park.

Braun singled in the first inning before he homered to lead off the fourth against A's right-hander Jarrod Parker. Braun, who tied the game at 1 when he connected with Parker's 0-2 changeup, has reached safely in eight of his nine Cactus League plate appearances.

"I played with fire, I told him that when I saw him outside the clubhouse," said Parker, who ran into Braun during the game and asked what pitch he was looking for. "Just wrong location. I wanted it to be away and it ran back over the plate. If it's away it's probably swung through or fouled off.

"He was looking to battle at that point and he barreled it up."

"I think it was actually a really good pitch," Braun said. "It helped that I had seen it the pitch before and swung and missed at it. I think the second time you see any pitch, you have a better chance to be successful with it."

Reigning Brewers Minor League player of the year Jason Rogers gave Milwaukee the lead with an RBI single later in the fourth inning, and the Brewers added three insurance runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to pull away. Catcher Martin Maldonado's two-run double in the fifth inning was his first Cactus League hit after an 0-for-11 start.

Right fielder Michael Taylor led the A's with a home run leading off the second inning, and later doubled and scored in the sixth. A's catcher Stephen Vogt had three hits and an RBI.

Parker was charged with one run and two hits in 3 1/3 innings for Oakland, and Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo allowed one run on three hits in 2 2/3 innings, and recorded half of his eight outs via strikeout. Milwaukee's closer, Jim Henderson, made his spring debut by pitching a clean fifth inning, and right-handed prospect Hiram Burgos struck out three batters in two scoreless frames.

Up next: Most of Oakland's everyday lineup will return to the field in Thursday's road contest against the D-backs at 12:10 p.m. PT, as right-hander Sonny Gray makes his second Cactus League start.