[May 24, 2014]Blue Jays 3, Athletics 2: Steve
Tolleson homered for the first time in nearly two years and Liam
Hendriks tossed 5 2/3 strong innings in his season debut as host Toronto
downed Oakland in a battle of two American League division leaders.
Tolleson’s first home run since June 10, 2012, was a two-run
blast against his former club and proved to be enough for Hendriks
(1-0), who allowed a run on three hits and three walks to improve to
3-13 in his career before Casey Janssen worked around a two-out
double from Coco Crisp in the ninth inning for his sixth save. Jose
Reyes also drove in a run as the Blue Jays won their fourth straight
and ninth in 11 tries.
Brandon Moss went deep for the second time in three games and
Alberto Callaspo added a pinch-hit RBI single for the Athletics, who
suffered consecutive defeats for the first time since dropping three
in a row from May 5-7. Scott Kazmir (5-2) lost for the first time in
six road starts, giving up three runs on five hits over seven
frames.
After retiring the side in order in the opening frame, Kazmir fell
behind in the second when Tolleson drove a 3-1 inside fastball off
the facing of the second deck in left. Kevin Pillar opened the third
with a double, moved to third when neither middle infielder covered
the bag on Kazmir's pickoff attempt and came around to score during
the same at-bat when Reyes grounded out to second.
Moss made Hendriks pay for his only mistake in the fourth, belting a
3-2 changeup deep into the right-field seats, and Callaspo closed
the gap further in the eighth with a hit to shallow center off Brett
Cecil to plate Jed Lowrie, who led off the inning with a walk. Cecil
stranded a pair of runners by striking out Derek Norris and Janssen
left Crisp at third when Jed Lowrie grounded out to end the game.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Oakland 3B Josh Donaldson drew a walk to lead off the
sixth to extend his on-base streak in road games to 28, breaking the
team record previously held by Eric Chavez in 2005. … The Blue Jays
have homered in 26 of their last 31 games and lead the majors with
68. … The Athletics had won eight of the previous 11 meetings in
Toronto.
