OAKLAND (AP) — Pinch-hitter Ike Davis beat out an infield single with two outs in the 10th inning that went to replay review, lifting the Oakland Athletics past the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Wednesday night.
The play went to review with the A’s already in the midst in a postgame celebration near the mound. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons immediately emerged from the dugout to challenge, and Oakland players stood together near the mound during the review that took 2 minutes, 45 seconds before they celebrated again.
It confirmed that 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.
Josh Reddick hit a one-out double against Roberto Osuna (1-4) to start things off in the bottom of the 10th.
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 put Oakland in position for a third straight series win heading into Thursday’s rubber game.
A’s manager Bob Melvin was ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the fifth, moments before Vogt singled in the go-ahead run.
Smolinski has seven RBIs in his past four games and has played in six games for Oakland since being claimed from division rival Texas.
Facing a left-handed starter for the third straight game, the A’s got runners aboard against Felix Doubront every inning. Doubront allowed two runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings in his third start of the season and fourth appearance.
The Blue Jays missed scoring chances in the first, third and fourth innings against Gray after taking the opener 7-1 on Tuesday night in Donaldson’s return to face his former team. Donaldson did provide an RBI single in the third among his two hits as a bright spot. Toronto had 12 hits.
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) might be 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: Hutchison or Dickey in Thursday afternoon’s finale at the Coliseum.
Athletics: LHP Scott Kazmir looks to improve on his 4-2 home record and 1.36 ERA.
Davis beats out infield single as As top Blue Jays