LDN - Sports

Crisp walk-off pushes A's past Rays in 13th

[July 23, 2016] OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland A's rookie left-hander Sean Manaea had been in the clubhouse for over an hour after pitching eight shutout innings against the Tampa Bay Rays when he watched on television as Coco Crisp came to bat in the bottom of the 13th inning Friday night.

Rookie third baseman Ryon Healy had lined a leadoff double down the left-field line off right-hander Dylan Floro, the Rays' sixth pitcher of the game. Then with one out, Crisp lined an opposite-field, walk-off single to left, bringing Healy home to give the A's a 1-0 victory at the Oakland Coliseum.

"I just did my regular routine and watched the game and went crazy whenever Coco got that hit," Manaea said.

The A's celebration on the field was just as wild after Crisp's eighth career walk-off RBI, six of them coming with Oakland.

"I guess it gets a little bit sweeter as the innings go along and you finally close it out on a positive note for us," Crisp said.

"Credit everybody today. Defensively. Our pitching staff did an amazing job. If they wouldn't have kept us in the game, this game would have been over a long time ago. We had a tough time getting hits."

Manaea got a no-decision but pitched the best game of his young career. He allowed five hits while striking out seven and walking none. The eight innings pitched were a career high for Manaea.

"It was the best start I've had up here," said Manaea, who came to Oakland from Kansas City on July 28 last season when the A's traded Ben Zobrist. "Everything was just working today."

Ryan Madson, Ryan Dull and John Axford combined to blank the Rays over the final five innings. Axford (4-3) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Floro (0-1) took the loss.

Healy, playing his eighth career major league game, had the game's only extra-base hit and scored the only run.

"I hit a two-seamer that was kind of in, it was running inside," Healy said. "I thought I had a good approach all night. ... I got a pitch I could handle right there and I finally didn't miss it. I'd been missing a lot of pitches the last two nights. So it was very satisfying to not miss one and help the team win."

Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi pitched eight shutout innings in a no-decision. He gave up five hits, struck out five and walked none. He matched his career high for innings pitched.

"I felt like everything came out with a little extra zip," Odorizzi said. "Located well, moved in and out, up and down. Typically just what I try to do from start to start.

"I don't know what more I could have done. I just tried to match their guy pitch for pitch, inning for inning, keep it 0-0 and give us a chance to win. I thought I did that."

Odorizzi, who's being heavily scouted as the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline approaches, had his second straight stellar start. He allowed two runs over six innings in a 2-1 victory Sunday against Baltimore, striking out seven and walking one.

Manaea had a perfect game with six strikeouts through 4 2/3 innings before Corey Dickerson grounded a single to right. Shortstop Tim Beckham followed with an infield single, moving Dickerson to second, but Manaea retired center fielder Kevin Kiermaier on a soft ground ball to first baseman Yonder Alonso.

The Rays got a runner to third in the eighth when Kiermaier grounded a leadoff single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt then tagged up after Logan Forsythe flied out center. But Manaea retired Brandon Guyer on a fly ball to right.

"He's pitched some good games but not like that," A's manager Bob Melvin said of Manaea. "That's the best. Slider, changeup, fastball both sides two-seamer, four-seamer. When we heard about our best pitching prospect coming up, that was the type of game you look for from your top pitching prospect. That was dominant."

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Athletics third baseman Ryon Healy (48) celebrates after a walk-off win on hit by Oakland Athletics left fielder Coco Crisp (not shown) against the Tampa Bay Rays in the thirteen inning at O.co Coliseum. Oakland won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Odorizzi retired the first eight batters he faced before Arismendy Alcantara grounded a two-out single to left in the third. Alcantara was caught stealing by catcher Luke Maile for the third out. Khris Davis singled in the fourth and Jake Smolinski in the fifth, but neither one got beyond first base.

Odorizzi stranded runners at first and third in the eighth when he retired Danny Valencia on a pop up in foul territory to Maile for the third out.

"You saw two starting pitchers that had everything going," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "(Manaea) gave us fits on the mound. Not a ton of good swings on our part. I say that in credit to him. He had a good fastball, his changeup and slider were good.

"The highlight for us was (Odorizzi). What an outstanding effort on his part. Our relievers threw the ball well. Our defense was really good. There were a lot of good things. We just couldn't quite get that big hit. There weren't a ton of opportunities for us."

NOTES: Rays 1B Logan Morrison missed his fourth straight game with tendinitis in his right forearm, just above the wrist. Morrison had a cortisone shot Thursday. "It feels pretty good right now," Morrison said Friday. Rays manager Kevin Cash said he expects Morrison to be available to play Saturday. ... Oakland SS Marcus Semien's team-high streak of starts this season ended at 96 as Arismendy Alcantara took his spot in the lineup. Semien played all but three innings -- all at shortstop -- during the A's first 96 games. Over his past eight games, Semien went 5-for-29 with two RBIs and made five of his 13 errors. "It just looked like maybe a little bit here recently it might be time for a day (off)," A's manager Bob Melvin said. Semien entered the game in the top of ninth and went 0-for-2. ... A's LHP Rich Hill played catch for the third straight day but still had a protective wrap covering the blister on his left middle finger, and there is no target date for his return to the rotation. ... Rays INF Tim Beckham, who made his first career start at first base Thursday, started at shortstop Friday. Beckham went 8-for-12 with one home run, one triple, one double, four RBIs and four runs in three previous games before going 1-for-5 Friday.

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