OAKLAND – Fight, fight and then fight some more.
That was the mindset the Athletics displayed in their thrilling 10-9 11-inning win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon at the Coliseum.
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When Oakland’s late rally forced the game to go to extra innings, the A’s (21-31) and Rockies (16-33) went back and forth in extras. And every time it appeared the Rockies were close to crossing the finish line, the A’s answered right back.
Colorado’s four-run 11th inning was bested by Oakland's five-run bottom half of the winning, capped by JJ Bleday's game-tying two run homer and Tyler Soderstrom's walk-off walk.
Oakland Athletics
The 6,886 fans in attendance had to wait seven innings until the A’s got their first run of the game, but the wait was worth it – and came with some company.
J.D. Davis and Daz Cameron gave fans something to cheer about and sparked a late run. Joey Estes made his third start of the season for Oakland following two very different outings, and he finished Thursday’s game allowing seven hits, four earned runs and six strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Max Schuemann’s RBI single sparked a turnaround for Oakland, followed by Davis’ two-run home run and topped off by a Cameron game-tying blast.
Kyle McCann stayed hot all afternoon, picking up his first career three-hit ballgame.
It took a team effort Thursday, but the A’s pulled off one of the most unique wins in franchise history.
Here are the takeaways from the A’s win:
A walk-off… walk?!
The epic, thrilling, back-and-forth game between the A’s and Rockies ended with none other than… a walk-off walk.
Following a sluggish start, at least from the A’s, the end of the three-hour-and-12 minute contest didn’t disappoint.
The 11th inning of Thursday’s game was full of offense. When the Rockies took a 9-5 lead following a four-run top half of the frame, it felt unlikely the A’s would be able to repair the damage.
Unlikely, not impossible.
Oakland’s walk-off walk capped its five-run inning that ultimately secured the win and series victory.
Late rally fuels comeback
There were many repeated themes in the series, including the second consecutive extra-inning game between the A’s and Rockies.
It took a little while, but the unwavering A’s and their bats finally woke up late in Thursday’s contest.
After six scoreless innings, Schuemann’s RBI single put the A’s on the board in the bottom of the seventh. The momentum carried over into the eighth, with Davis’ two-run homer making it a one-run game at the Coliseum.
The offensive domino effect reached the ninth inning, with Cameron -- called up from Triple-A Las Vegas before the game -- smashing a game-tying homer in his A's debut.
Colorado regained the lead in the top of the 10th, but Oakland answered right back with Zack Gelof driving in a run to even things up at 5-5.
After back-and-forth offensive sparks from each club, the A’s wound up on top in the end following a thrilling, action-packed 11th inning.
Welcome back to the show
In his A’s debut, Cameron smashed the biggest hit of the game Thursday.
With a late rally underway following Davis' two-run homer in the eighth, Cameron kept the momentum going in the ninth.
Cameron, the former 2015 first-round draft pick of the Houston Astros, crushed a game-tying 419-foot bomb off Rockies pitcher Jalen Beeks.
Cameron’s first go with the club was no easy test for the son of MLB All-Star and three-time Gold Glover Mike Cameron, who was placed in strenuous situations twice prior.
In the bottom of the second, Cameron’s first at bat came with runners on second and third. He flied out to center. Two innings later – with bases loaded – Cameron flied out to right. But when it mattered most, Cameron came through for the Green and Gold.