Final/10
Davis beats out infield single in 10th as A's top Blue Jays
Jul 23, 2015 - 7:12 AM OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) The Oakland Athletics had to stop mid-celebration and wait to find out from replay review whether they had in fact won the game on a walkoff.It was confirmed that pinch-hitter Ike Davis beat out an infield single with two outs in the 10th inning, lifting the A's past the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Wednesday night.
The play went to review with Oakland's players jumping up and down near the mound. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons immediately emerged from the dugout to challenge, and A's players stood together waiting out the review that took 2 minutes, 45 seconds before they celebrated again.
''It's awkward. That's a tough position to be in. The whole time we were thinking, `If they turn this over we're going to look like a bunch of idiots out here,''' Josh Reddick said. ''Once they ruled him safe, we had planned we were going to sprint off with no high-fives. That was a tough situation to be in, just waiting and waiting. It felt like the longest replay we've had all year.''
Davis barely beat the throw by shortstop Jose Reyes, for his fifth career walkoff hit and first since July 1, 2014. That ended the 3-hour, 49-minute game.
''That's part of the process now, but it's over,'' Gibbons said.
Reddick hit a one-out double against Roberto Osuna (1-4) to start things off in the bottom of the 10th.
A's manager Bob Melvin watched all the drama from inside after being ejected in the fifth.
''You look at it real time and it's close,'' Melvin said. ''They stayed with what we're told they're supposed to do, is if there's no definitive overturn, you stay with it. That was a little nerve-wracking sitting there waiting on the verdict.''
Fernando Rodriguez (1-1) pitched the top half for the win.
A's closer Tyler Clippard blew a second straight save opportunity in the ninth to waste a strong start by All-Star Sonny Gray. Clippard loaded the bases with no outs then struck out former A's star Josh Donaldson on a 3-2 pitch for the first out. He then walked Jose Bautista to force home the tying run.
Gray gave up nine hits and two runs, struck out three and walked two in seven innings. Edward Mujica worked the eighth then gave way to Clippard, who blew a save Saturday against the Twins.
Clippard walked leadoff batter Danny Valencia before Devon Travis doubled.
Josh Phegley and Stephen Vogt each hit RBI singles for Oakland and Jake Smolinski drove in a run for the fourth straight game with a sacrifice fly.
Toronto's Danny Valencia homered in the seventh, but Gray did enough to help put Oakland in position for a third straight series win heading into Thursday's rubber game.
''When you're playing it happens so fast that you don't have a good idea. But when you come back and look at it on replay, everybody in this clubhouse feels like he was out,'' Valencia said. ''Unfortunately we couldn't get it overturned.''
Smolinski has seven RBIs in his past four games and has played in six games for Oakland since being claimed from division rival Texas.
Felix Doubront made his fifth career start against the A's and has gone five innings in only one of those outings.
ROOT BEER FLOATS, ANYONE?
The A's Root Beer Float Day raised $34,709 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, bringing the team's 16-year total through the event to more than $448,000.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: Scheduled Thursday starter Drew Hutchison (9-2) was ill and knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (3-10) was pushed up from his scheduled Friday outing in which he was to oppose Seattle ace Felix Hernandez at Safeco Field.
Athletics: Melvin doesn't know when or if OF Coco Crisp will begin a minor league rehab assignment to return from a neck injury that has sidelined him since May 20. He was eligible to be back last Sunday. Crisp has turned down a rehab assignment in the past.
''I'm not 100 percent sure and, really, he has to agree to a rehab. It's his choice,'' Melvin said. ''If and when he goes down there, we'd monitor it and see how he's doing physically playing every day, how his at-bats are and so forth, but we're getting ahead of ourselves there. He is the one that has to agree to it first.'' Oakland has used the DL 18 times this season, the club's entire 2014 total.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Dickey starts Thursday afternoon's finale at the Coliseum.
Athletics: LHP Scott Kazmir looks to improve on his 4-2 home record and 1.36 ERA.
- TORONTO: 3
OAKLAND: 4
Final/10
Jul 23 1:55 AM - Ike Davis singles to shortstop. Josh Reddick scores.
Blue Jays 3, Athletics 4 Bot 10, 2 OutsJul 23 1:55 AM - Bautista walked, Valencia scored, Travis to third, Reyes to second.
Blue Jays 3, Athletics 3 Top 9, 1 OutJul 23 1:16 AM - Jose Reyes to second. Devon Travis to third. Danny Valencia scores.
Blue Jays 3, Athletics 3 Top 9, 1 OutJul 23 1:16 AM - Smolinski hit a sacrifice fly to center fielder Pillar, Vogt scored, Zobrist to third.
Blue Jays 1, Athletics 3 Bot 5, 2 OutsJul 22 11:51 PM - Jake Smolinski out on a sacrifice fly to deep center field to Kevin Pillar. Ben Zobrist to third. Stephen Vogt scores.
Blue Jays 1, Athletics 3 Bot 5, 1 OutJul 22 11:50 PM - Stephen Vogt singles to center field. Billy Burns scores.
Blue Jays 1, Athletics 2 Bot 5, 1 OutJul 22 11:43 PM - Josh Phegley singles to center field. Jake Smolinski scores.
Blue Jays 1, Athletics 1 Bot 4, 2 OutsJul 22 11:22 PM - Donaldson singled to right, Travis scored, Reyes to second.
Blue Jays 1, Athletics 0 Top 3, 1 OutJul 22 10:47 PM - Josh Donaldson singles to right field. Jose Reyes to second. Devon Travis scores.
Blue Jays 1, Athletics 0 Top 3, 1 OutJul 22 10:47 PM
Jul 22 10:10 PM- TORONTO: 0
OAKLAND: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Jul 22 10:09 PM
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