Sonny Gray Shaky As Oakland Athletics Rally To Salvage Tie With Diamondbacks

Feb 18, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) simulates a throw during a workout at Papago Park. Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Sonny Gray was lit up for four runs in his only inning of work Thursday and Luke Montz drove in the game-tying run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth as the Oakland Athletics and Arizona Diamondbacks played to an 8-8, 10-inning tie at Salt River Fields.

Gray was roughed up for four runs on five hits in the bottom of the first, surrendering a two-run double to Martin Prado, an RBI single by Gerardo Parra and a run-scoring groundout by Matt Tuiasosopo.

That was after the A’s hit former Oakland right-hander Trevor Cahill hard in the top of the first.

Jed Lowrie slapped a one-out double and came home one out later on a single by Yoenis Cespedes. After Brandon Moss singled through the right side of the infield, Josh Donaldson and John Jaso produced back-to-back RBI singles to give the A’s a short-lived 3-0 lead.

Sam Fuld tied it up for Oakland to lead off the second, hitting a homer—his first of the spring—to right field. The A’s got the lead back in the third. Cespedes led off the inning with a double and Moss followed with a two-run blast to right field to put Oakland up 6-4.

All of the early damage came off Cahil, who worked three innings and gave up eight hits while striking out four.

The A’s made it 7-4 in the fourth. Coco Crisp drew a one-out walk off reliever Joe Thatcher, moved up on a ground ball out and scored on Josh Reddick’s double to right.

Parra had an RBI single for Arizona in the bottom of the fifth off Jim Johnson that closed the gap to 7-5 before the Diamondbacks took the lead by hanging up a three-spot in the eighth.

Jake Lamb hit a one-out homer off Fernando Abad, who was entering his second inning of work, and Nick Evans followed with a single. After Jeremy McBryde relieved Abad, Aldredo Marte homered to left to put Arizona up 8-7.

In the ninth, Addison Russell led off with a triple off Diamondbacks reliever Jake Barrett and after Michael Taylor struck out, Montz hit a fly ball to center deep enough to bring home Russell for the tie.

Andrew Werner worked a scoreless inning for the A’s, allowing two hits, Dan Otero struck out two in two perfect frames. Sean Doolittle followed Johnson and struck out one in a 1-2-3 sixth. Abad was charged with two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings while McBryde was charged with a blown save. Seth Frankoff allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in a scoreless ninth and Matt Buschmann set down Arizona in order in the 10th.

It was the second tie of the spring for the A’s (5-3), who will host the Diamondbacks at Phoenix Municipal Stadium at 12:05 p.m. Pacific on Friday.