Athletics use big first inning to beat Blue Jays

The Oakland Athletics defeated the host Toronto Blue Jays 8-4 on Saturday afternoon, claiming their 50th win of the season.

BY FIELD LEVEL MEDIA

Aug 12, 2024, 7:01 AM Updated: 7:44 am

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TORONTO, CANADA - AUGUST 11: Lawrence Butler #4 of the Oakland Athletics celebrates scoring against...

(Photo by Kevin Sousa/Getty Images)

JJ Bleday and Zack Gelof each hit two-run home runs in the first inning and finished with three hits apiece as the Oakland Athletics defeated the host Toronto Blue Jays 8-4 Saturday afternoon.

Lawrence Butler also had three hits for Oakland in the decisive game of the three-game series. Oakland left-hander JP Sears (10-8) allowed three runs, three hits and three walks with four strikeouts in seven-plus innings.

Daulton Varsho hit a solo home run for the Blue Jays. Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was 0-for-4 to end his hit streak at 22 games.

Gelof liftoff and the A’s are up 5-0 in the first 💣 pic.twitter.com/6WjUbcpcmk

— A’s on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) August 11, 2024

Athletics vs. Blue Jays recap

Toronto right-hander Chris Bassitt (9-11) allowed seven runs, eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts in four innings.

Oakland ran out to a 6-0 lead in the first. Butler led off with a double to right, and Brent Rooker hit an infield single on a shot off Bassitt’s ankle. Butler scored when first baseman Spencer Horwitz’s desperate flip sailed past Bassitt in an attempt to retire Rooker.

Bleday followed with his 14th home run of the season, a drive to right center. The next batter, Seth Brown, was hit by a pitch. Gelof hit his 15th homer on a one-out blast to center.

Daz Cameron doubled with two outs, Max Schuemann walked and Butler hit an RBI single to conclude the uprising. Oakland added a run in the fourth. Butler singled, stole second and scored on Bleday’s bad-hop single past first base.

Varsho hit a drive to right with one out in the fourth for his 14th homer of the season, Toronto’s first hit since the second inning on Saturday. Oakland bumped the lead to 8-1 in the sixth against Ryan Yarbrough. Schuemann walked and scored on Rooker’s double to the left field corner.

Toronto’s second hit of the game was an infield single in the sixth, the first major league hit by Luis De Los Santos.

Sears walked Horwitz and Davis Schneider to open the eighth and was replaced by Michel Otanez. De Los Santos doubled in a run and George Springer hit a two-run single. But after Varsho was hit by a pitch, Guerrero grounded into a double play for the second consecutive inning to end the threat.

Mason Miller pitched a perfect ninth for Oakland.

–Field Level Media