Ramon Laureano and Stephen Vogt homered, Cole Irvin snapped a nine-game start streak and the Oakland Athletics kicked off a six-game homestand with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.
Staked to a three-run lead in the first inning, Irvin (3-6) combined with Zach Jackson on a five-hitter as the A’s won at home for just the second time in their last 15 tries.
Winless since April 24, Irvin gave up just one run on four hits in eight innings. He struck out four and did not walk a batter. Jackson pitched a scoreless ninth.
Facing the daunting task of having to deal with Alek Manoah (9-3), who had been beaten just once in his past eight starts, the A’s wasted little time taking charge.
Laureano walked with one out in the first inning, Seth Brown singled and Sean Murphy was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Vogt, whose sacrifice fly made it 1-0. Elvis Andrus followed with a two-run double for a 3-0 lead.
Laureano’s homer, his fifth of the season, came in the fifth, and Vogt’s, his fourth, followed an inning later, extending Oakland’s lead to 5-1.
Meanwhile, Irvin retired the first 11 Blue Jays in order before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled with two outs in the fourth. When Alejandro Kirk followed with an RBI single, the visitors had their only run of the game.
Irvin proceeded to retire 13 of the last 15 batters he faced, allowing just a fifth-inning single to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and an eighth-inning single to Santiago Espinal.
Jackson served up the Blue Jays’ second extra-base hit of the game when Bo Bichette led off the ninth with a double, but the next three batters went down in order.
Laureano finished 2-for-3 with two runs and a walk for the A’s, who out-hit the Blue Jays 7-5. Vogt and Andrus had two RBIs apiece.
Manoah went 5 2/3 innings and was charged with five runs, four of which were earned. He gave up six hits, walked two and struck out five.
Former A’s fan favorite Matt Chapman, dealt to the Blue Jays before the start of the season, went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in his first return to Oakland.
Toronto, which was opening a seven-game Western trip, lost its fourth straight contest. Oakland earned just its second victory in eight games overall.
–Field Level Media
