Callaspo The Hero Again As A’s Rally Against Blue Jays
The Alberto Callaspo trade is looking better by the day.
After an 0-for-11 start upon first arriving with the Oakland Athletics, the veteran infielder has now come up big twice in the last two games, giving the club some clutch at-bats in the exact way that Billy Beane likely envisioned when he traded Grant Green for the 30-year-old utility man 13 days ago, and thanks to his effort at the plate the A’s head home on a high note with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
After mishandling a ground ball in the bottom of the eighth that allowed the Blue Jays to score their first run of the game to tie it up 1-1, Callaspo responded by smacking a fastball down the right field line to bring two runs in for the A’s, who earned a series win over Toronto and a 3-3 record overall on the six-game road trip.
Ryan Cook earned the win after shutting down the most threatening scoring opportunity by the Blue Jays in the eighth, but most of the credit goes to Dan Straily who put in a masterful performance, allowing only six hits with five strikeouts and three walks.
J.A. Happ seemed intent on matching his efforts, and the left-hander recovered after giving up a lead off home run to Chris Young at the start of the game to throw seven innings with six strikeouts and two walks and only two other hits allowed after the solo shot.
Young battled back from an 0-2 start in the first at-bat of the game to work the count full, and he crushed the 10th pitch to the upper deck in left field to give Oakland a quick 1-0 lead.
It was a pitcher’s duel the rest of the way, and Happ and Straily combined to allow only six hits over the next six and a half innings. Straily was particularly efficient for the A’s, needing only 83 pitches to get through seven innings.
The young right-hander was left in to start the eighth, but after getting Emilio Bonifacio to ground out to second, he gave up consecutive singles to Jose Reyes and Maicer Izturis, knocking him out of the game as Ryan Cook came in to try to shut down the rally with men at the corners.
That wouldn’t happen, as a grounder from Jose Bautista went off the glove of Callaspo at third, allowing Reyes to score on the error. Edwin Encarnacion hit into an inning-ending double play in the next at-bat, smoking a line drive that was caught by Sogard at second, who then stepped on the bag at second to send the game into the ninth with the score tied 1-1.
The earned run was charged to Straily, and his teammates surely didn’t want to let his efforts go to waste after such a well-pitched game. Thus they responded by rallying in the top of the ninth, with the man responsible for the error driving in the go-ahead runs with a double to right off reliever Casey Janssen.
Callaspo’s clutch hit followed a lead off single by Donaldson – who was in the game as the designated hitter – and a one-out double by pinch-hitter Brandon Moss that put men on second and third. Janssen then intentionally walked Josh Reddick with the open base at first, and Callaspo came through with the two-run double. It’s the second time in the last two days that Callaspo’s bat has come through for Oakland, as he drove in two runs to break a tie in the eighth inning of Sunday’s 6-4 win over the Blue Jays.
They weren’t satisfied with the two-run lead, however, and with two runners still in scoring position, Stephen Vogt hit a ground ball through the right side of the infield to score Reddick and advance Callaspo to third. Eric Sogard brought him home on a sacrifice fly to center field, and the A’s had a 5-1 lead heading to the bottom of the ninth.
Grant Balfour was left in the bullpen after a rough time Sunday afternoon, and Sean Doolitte performed well in the role of closer, striking out two and getting Rajai Davis to ground out with a runner on first to end the game.
The A’s return home for a three-game series against the Houston Astros at O.co Coliseum, and they’ll try to gain ground on the Texas Rangers, who remain a half-game ahead of Oakland in the AL West after the victory. Texas is currently ahead of Houston 2-0 in the sixth inning of a day game at Minute Maid Park, and they’ll face the Brewers in Arlington in a two-game series this week before taking on the Mariners at home through the weekend.