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Blue Jays steal one from A's in extras

Aug 5, 2012 - 3:28 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Edwin Encarnacion scored the winning run in the 11th as the Toronto Blue Jays took a 3-1 win over the Oakland Athletics in the third of a four-game series.

In the 11th, Encarnacion led off with a single and then stole second. After Rajai Davis walked, Jeff Mathis struck out, but Encarnacion took off for third on the pitch and George Kottaras' throw went into the outfield, allowing Encarnacion to score. Moises Sierra followed with a double to left for a 3-1 lead.

Darren Oliver worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the 11th for his second save of the season.

It was the second game in a row that these two clubs went to extra innings, but Friday's contest went Oakland's way in a 5-4, 15-inning win.

Jesse Chavez (1-1) left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th to get the win for the Blue Jays, who snapped a six-game losing streak. David Cooper's solo homer in the ninth sent the game to extra innings.

Ricky Romero started the game for Toronto and gave up just one run on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts over seven innings.

Derek Norris drove in the only run of the game for the Athletics, who had taken the first two games of this set.

"Our offense was a little off today," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "We didn't get too many hits, but again later in the game we had some opportunities to score some runs, but we didn't."

Oakland starter A.J. Griffin left the game with two outs in the second due to right shoulder tightness. Jerry Blevins (4-1) was charged with the loss.

After Griffin left the game, Sierra beat out an infield single to keep the inning alive. Anthony Gose then smacked a pitch off the wall in left-center. Josh Reddick fielded the ball on a hop and quickly threw it to Adam Rosales, who one-hopped it to the plate and Kottaras held on after a collision with Sierra for the final out of the inning.

The Athletics were able to push a run across in the bottom of the second. Chris Carter led off with a walk, but was later forced out at second on a fielder's choice by Brandon Inge. A wild pitch moved Inge to second and Norris followed with a double for a 1-0 lead.

The Blue Jays threatened in the fourth as Encarnacion and Davis both singled and, with one out, the runners executed a double steal to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Norberto, though, got Yan Gomes to fly out to shallow right and Sierra to ground out and end the frame.

Oakland loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but Michael Taylor struck out swinging to end the frame.

Norberto worked a 1-2-3 fifth then got the first out of the sixth before Pat Neshek took the mound and retired the next two Jays.

A one-out walk to Gomes in the Toronto seventh didn't damage the A's as Neshek struck out Sierra and forced a fielder's choice from Gose.

It was the same story, different night, though in the ninth inning as Ryan Cook served up a game-tying home run again, this one was a solo shot by Cooper. On Friday, Cook gave up a three-run home run to Jeff Mathis in the ninth to send the game to extras.

Game Notes

A's outfielder Yoenis Cespedes pinch-ran in the ninth after being held out of the starting lineup with a sprained right wrist, which he suffered on Friday...Since Monday, the A's have played three extra inning games and won two of them...Both teams left eight men on base...Oakland has won five of the eight games against Toronto this season.