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 "It's pretty violent, actually," the Oakland A's rookie said. "It
felt like a punch in the face. That's a lot of fun. It's a blast."
Canha hit a one-out, 10th-inning double that plated Sam Fuld and
gave Oakland a 2-1 win over the Cleveland Indians. He blasted a 3-1
pitch from Indians reliever Cody Allen (1-3) off the wall in left
after Fuld reached with a two-out single to center.
"I was just really rooting Sam on to run as fast as he could once I
hit it," said Canha, who entered the game in the fifth inning after
right fielder Josh Reddick got injured. "My approach was to just get
to a fastball. I've been getting jammed a lot lately. I just tried
to shorten everything up, get a barrel on it and see what happens."
It was a tough way to end a weekend for Cleveland, which started the
four-game series with consecutive wins only to drop the last two in
a showdown of last-place teams.
"Allen just fell behind to Canha, and that's a right-handed batter
who has more success against a right-handed pitcher," Indians
manager Terry Francona said. "When you're in an extra-inning game
... that's the ballgame."
The win went to reliever Fernando Rodriguez (2-1).
The Indians scored in the first inning as Athletics starter Sonny
Gray struggled to find command early.
Gray issued walks to right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall and left
fielder Michael Brantley before designated hitter Carlos Santana
dumped a soft single to center to load the bases with one out.
First baseman Jerry Sands plated Chisenhall with a sacrifice fly to
medium center before third baseman Giovanny Urshela struck out,
limiting the damage to one run on 27 pitches for Gray.
"That's probably our best chance to get Sonny Gray," Francona said.
"He didn't look like he was really sharp. He battled out of that
first inning. And then after that, he just has so many ways to
attack the hitter."
Gray went seven innings, giving up one run on four hits and four
walks while striking out seven. He threw 69 pitches over his final
six innings but had no problem exiting with fewer than 100 thrown.
"Every inning was a battle, and they were pretty high-intensity
pitches," said Gray, who saw his teammates turn three double plays
behind him. "I think we were on the same page after seven. I was
pretty gassed."
Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer was sailing along with the one-run
lead until running into his own control issues with two outs in the
fifth.
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Bauer walked second baseman Eric Sogard and shortstop Marcus Semien
-- Oakland's Nos. 8 and 9 hitters -- on eight pitches. Leadoff
batter Billy Burns worked the count to 2-2 before flipping a
fastball over the head of Urshela into left for a game-tying single.
Bauer walked Fuld to load the bases, but he worked back from a 3-1
count against Canha to induce a foul pop to third from the Oakland
pinch hitter. Bauer threw 33 pitches in the inning.
"I walked people, I threw eight straight balls," Bauer said. "I
thought one of the check swings was sure a strike. I looked at it on
video, and anytime you can see the barrel facing you on the mound
it's going to a strike. But I can't walk three people."
Canha came in to play left when Reddick exited, with Fuld moving
from left to right. Reddick had a stiff lower back after from making
running catch of a foul drive by Cleveland second baseman Mike
Aviles to start the fifth inning.
Bauer departed after allowing a two-out single to right-center field
by Semien in the seventh inning. He gave up one run on four hits and
four walks with six strikeouts.
NOTES: C Stephen Vogt was not in Oakland's starting lineup. The
All-Star came grounded out as a pinch hitter, extending his slump to
0-for-26. ... Indians 2B Jason Kipnis did not play as a precaution.
Kipnis is nursing a sore right shoulder, and he had an MRI performed
Sunday. "We'll talk to Shick (head team physician Mark
Schickendantz) and the trainers. We'll put our heads ogether and see
what we want to do about it," manager Terry Francona said. RF Lonnie
Chisenhall replaced Kipnis in the leadoff spot and went 1-for-3 with
two walks. ... The A's optioned RHP R.J. Alvarez to Triple-A
Nashville to make room for newly acquired LHP Felix Doubront. ...
Indians 2B Mike Aviles snapped an 0-for-27 slump with an infield hit
in the 10th.
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