Brentwood’s Paul Blackburn has strong debut for A’s

Blackburn hung right in there with Dickey, allowing just one unearned run in six innings in the A’s 4-3 loss to the Braves.

Khris Davis clobbered his 22nd homer, a two-run shot, to tie the game in the eighth, but the Braves scored an unearned run against Santiago Casilla in the ninth for their second win in a row in Oakland.

In the second inning, Tyler Flowers reached on an error by shortstop Franklin Barreto and scored on Danny Santana’s one-out double.

Oakland’s run off Dickey came in the fourth, when Davis walked, Yonder Alonso reached on an infield single and Ryon Healy knocked an RBI single up the middle.

Healy had three hits but had a rough day physically, fouling a pitch off his left foot in the sixth inning, then having Santana bang the same foot sliding into third the next inning.

The rookie fared so well in an on-field workout Friday he was sent on a rehab assignment with Class-A Stockton a day early and was scheduled to DH for the Ports on Saturday evening.

Matt Olson probably will be demoted to make room for Chapman, albeit briefly; Olson has impressed in this most recent stint with the club and he’d remain on the roster if the team had the leeway to designate Rajai Davis for assignment, but Davis is the A’s lone backup center fielder.

Marcus Semien, who could be back in less than a week from April wrist surgery, was at shortstop for Nashville on Saturday.