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 OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Joe Blanton's teammates have come to expect they'll be headed out of the ballpark in about two hours on the nights he starts. Blanton made quick work of the Reds as he's done so often to other teams this year, and Mark Ellis' three-run homer highlighted the Oakland Athletics' 6-1 victory over Cincinnati on Monday night.
"I like to work quick," Blanton said. "Sometimes it's chilly and I don't want to be out there either. ... I think it just makes the pace of the game better. When I was in high school, if you have a guy who takes forever it takes you out of the focus of the game."
Blanton (7-4) struck out five and didn't walk a batter to win for the third time in four starts. Eric Chavez hit a sacrifice fly and Nick Swisher had three singles and an RBI groundout for the A's, who improved their perfect regular-season mark against the Reds to 7-0.
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