Big finishes:
Recalling the A’s nine walk-off wins in 2021.
Their first win of the season came via a walkoff, and their most recent win entering Friday also sparked a frenzied celebration in the Coliseum infield.
During Bob Melvin’s decadeplus tenure as the A’s manager, Oakland leads the majors with 92 walkoff wins. Through Thursday, the A’s had nine this season, tops in the AL and one shy of Colorado for the majorleague lead.
Here’s a look at the nine walkoffs for the Oakland nine in 2021:
April 7: A’s 4, Dodgers 3 (10) —
After opening the season with six losses at the Coliseum, the A’s avoided going winless on the homestand on this Wednesday afternoon. Elvis Andrus’ sacrifice fly in the ninth tied the game, and Mitch Moreland’s single with one out in the 10th brought home Mark Canha from third with the winning run.
April 18: A’s 3, Tigers 2 —
Soon after that sixgame skid, the A’s put together a 13game winning streak. This was win No. 8 in that streak. Sean Murphy’s eighthinning homer made it 22 before Moreland’s hit through the left side with two outs in the ninth enabled Matt Olson to score from second. Moreland’s hit originally was ruled an error on third baseman Jeimer Candelario.
April 21: A’s 13, Twins 12 (10) —
No disputing the throwing error by third baseman Luis Arraez on Ramon Laureano’s grounder that accounted for the tying and winning runs scoring with two outs in the 10th. Oakland’s winning threerun rally consisted of two walks and two errors, the other by second baseman Travis Blankenhorn.
May 7: A’s 2, Rays 1 —
With two outs in the ninth, Seth Brown unloaded on lefty Jeffrey Springs for a solo homer to right. Brown had delivered a pinchhit RBI single in the seventh for the game’s first run.
May 18: A’s 6, Astros 5 —
A gameending sacrifice fly doesn’t have quite the same dramatic effect as a gameending homer, but the A’s gladly took Laureano’s flyball to center to send in Canha and knock off Houston. Laureano had hit solo HRs in the first and fourth in
nings.
June 11: A’s 4, Royals 3 — After Matt Chapman’s oneout double in the ninth, Kansas City intentionally walked Brown to get to Andrus, who entered that Friday night hitting .207. The A’s shortstop lined a single to right, and Chapman beat Jarrod Dyson’s throw to the plate, giving the A’s the first of what would become seven straight wins. July 3: A’s 7, Red Sox 6 (12) — This game rates as probably the teethpullingest win of the season for Oakland. After squandering golden opportunities to prevail in the 10th and the 11th, the A’s scored three times in the 12th for the victory. Jed Lowrie’s RBI double made it 66 before Tony Kemp’s sac fly ended both the 4hour, 24minute marathon and Boston’s winning streak at eight games.
July 16: A’s 5, Indians 4 —
Oakland trailed 43 with one on and one out in the ninth in its first game after the AllStar break. Lowrie then jolted a 11 pitch from Emmanuel Clase over the rightfield wall. Lowrie’s 11th homer of the season gave Oakland its eighth walkoff victory of 2021.
Wednesday: A’s 5, Padres 4 (10) —
Oakland trailed 31 with two outs in the ninth before RBI singles by Chapman and Yan Gomes off Mark Melancon sent the game to extras. San Diego scored a run in the top of the 10th before Olson tagged lefty Tim Hill for a double high off the wall in right. Canha cruised home from third and Starling Marte motored all the way around from first to ignite yet another gameending exultation.