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Four-run 12th lifts Blue Jays over Athletics

Aug 28, 2007 - 6:53 AM By Tom Kent PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) - The Toronto Blue Jays erupted for four runs in the 12th inning to defeat the Oakland Athletics, 6-2, on Monday night.

Vernon Wells singled to lead off the 12th against lefthander Alan Embree and moved to third on Frank Thomas' flare single into right field. Glaus delivered the go-ahead run with a booming double off the wall in left center, knocking Embree (1-1) from the game.

Aaron Hill greeted reliever Ruddy Lugo with a line single up the middle, plating pinch runner Russ Adams for a 4-2 lead. Gregg Zaun followed with a hard grounder that Marco Scutaro knocked down. Mark Ellis scooped up the ball and stepped on second for a force as Glaus scampered home for a 5-2 advantage.

"We hung in there," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "You get to that point where everyone is tired, but you just keep battling. That's what we were able to do tonight."

Reed Johnson capped the uprising with a two-out single, bringing home Zaun with the final Blue Jays' run and dropping the Athletics to their fourth straight defeat.

"You always want to come out on top especially after a long game like that," Hill said. "When you're playing for that long, it's always a little more special."

Toronto closer Jeremy Accardo (3-3) picked up the win despite walking a pair of batters in a shaky 11th inning.

Brian Wolfe retired the side in order in the 12th to put the Blue Jays (66-65) back over the .500 mark.

Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett was stellar once again, allowing one run in seven innings while walking five and striking out three. He did not factor in the decision.

"I though I wasted a lot of pitches tonight," Burnett said. "I walked too many guys, but I made the pitches when I needed to."

"He was great," Gibbons said. "He walked a few guys, and he'll do that now and then, but he held them to one run. That's the bottom line."

Burnett faced Oakland and Esteban Loaiza in his last start and was charged with the loss despite yielding just one earned run in seven innings. It was his first loss in four starts since being reinstated from the disabled list on August 12.

Loaiza, who had been on the disabled list since the beginning of the season with a bulging disk in his neck and a torn meniscus muscle in his right knee, was impressive once again.

The Mexican-born righthander allowing just two runs and seven hits in seven innings while walking two and striking out one. He threw 66 of his 102 pitches for strikes.

"I felt good out there," Loaiza said. "We had a chance to win, and it didn't go our way. Those are the little things we need to work on and accomplish to win games."

Loaiza made his first start of the season in last week's victory against Toronto and allowed just one run and three hits in 7 2/3 innings.

"He did a great job against us last time," Hill said. "We learned kind of what not to do against him. If a guy gives it to you like he did to us last time, it's always nice to come out with a win. He was great again, though."

With Oakland trailing, 2-1, in the eighth, Nick Swisher greeted Blue Jays reliever Casey Janssen by lining a double down the left field line. After Jack Cust walked, Dan Johnson hit an RBI bloop single to center to forge a 2-2 tie.

Oakland opened the scoring the first inning off Burnett when Swisher deposited a 1-2 offering into the left field bleachers for a 1-0 edge. The blast was Swisher's 17th of the year.

Toronto answered back in the third when Lyle Overbay belted a run-scoring double off the top of the right-center wall. Alex Rios then singled to left, plating Overbay for a 2-1 lead.

Oakland had chances to win the game in the ninth and 11th innings, twice putting two men on with one out, but Swisher and Mike Piazza failed to get the runners home in each instance.

"We couldn't get the big hit when we needed it," Athletics manager Bob Geren said. in the game we had plenty of opportunities. We were in a position to win so many times, and we couldn't get it done."