The Toronto Blue Jays took the finale of their three game set against the Oakland Athletics with a 6-4 extra inning victory on Sunday afternoon.
Bowden Francis (2-2, 9.00) was named Toronto’s starter for the rubber match of their series against Oakland. The A’s sent Mitch Spence (4-3, 3.86) to the bump to face Francis.
Francis threw 4 innings, giving up no runs on three hits, with one walk and three strikeouts while getting handed a no decision. Spence threw 7 innings, giving up two runs on five hits, along with no walks and three strikeouts, also getting handed a no decision.
The scoring started in the top of the 2nd, when Isiah Kiner-Falefa gave the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead with a two RBI single.
Oakland got one a run back in the bottom of the 6th, when Brent Rooker hit a solo shot to left, to cut the Toronto lead in half.
An inning later, in the bottom of the 7th, Canadian born Abraham Toro would give his squad the lead with a two RBI single to give the A’s a 3-2 lead.
In the top of the 8th, the Jays would tie the game at three, with Davis Schneider driving in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Both teams would go quietly in the 9th, pushing the game to extra innings. In the top of the 10th, the Blue Jays would threaten with the bases loaded and one out. Kiner-Falefa, already with two RBIs on the day, stepped to the plate with a chance to drive in more and take the lead, and that he did. IKF drove in all three runs with a bases clearing double to give the Blue Jays a 6-3 lead. Kiner-Falefa had a breakout performance in the finale against the A’s, going 2 for 3 with 5 RBIs.
The A’s would get one run back in the bottom of the 10th with a J.J. Bleday ground out, but nothing more. Genesis Cabrera got the final out to secure the 6-4 win and the series while earning his first save of the year.
The Blue Jays will now be travelling to Wisconsin to start their three game set against the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers. Toronto will send Jose Berrios (5-4, 2.80) to the mound to face Colin Rea (4-2, 3.53) and the Brewers on Monday night.
