A’s 4, Rays 3: Two home runs in the bottom of the ninth give Oakland the victory.
Most of the way Saturday, it appeared Kendall Graveman was on his lonesome.
And then Jake Smolinski and Ryon Healy, two young players recently handed everyday roles with the A’s, jumped into the action. Smolinski clobbered a two-run homer off Rays closer Alex Colome with one out in the ninth and Healy, called up after the All-Star break, smacked his first career walk-off homer with two outs. Oakland’s 4-3 victory was the team’s third walk-off win on the homestand.
“Two really loud sounds with two younger players getting an opportunity to play every day,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s exciting to watch.”
“I don’t think there’s anything more fun in baseball, and the fact we’ve had so many in my short eight-day career makes it that much extra special,” Healy said. “Eight days, guys!”
Colome had converted his past 21 save opportunities, but with Khris Davis on after a walk, Smolinski was looking for a first-pitch fastball. He’d gotten one from Colome two nights earlier but took it, and he told hitting coach Darren Bush that if he got one Saturday, he wouldn’t miss it.
“The other day, he grooved one and I took it,” Smolinski said. “And after that I saw his cutter/slider that was pretty nasty, so I told Bush I was going to be ready for that firstpitch heater if I got it again.”
Melvin said Healy “went up there with fire in his eyes.” He fell behind 0-2 and battled back to 3-2 before his blast to leftcenter, and Healy said it didn’t really hit him until he saw third-base coach Ron Washington going nuts.
“It was awesome to see the guys waiting there, the bullpen sprinting down,” he said. “I kind of slowed my jog down to enjoy it and let them get there.”
Graveman put together another strong start, scattering nine hits in a career-high nine innings, the A’s first complete game of the season. He never lost faith in his teammates.
“Wow — I mean, that’s stepping up big-time and getting something done,” he said. “I just knew if you keep your team in it and give them a chance to strike with one swing of the bat, you have a chance.”
The A’s had gone 148 games without a complete game.
“Really apropos the whole situation was Kendall,” Melvin said. “Hung in there, gave us a complete game. So he got what he deserved there at the end.”
Graveman has won six consecutive decisions and has a 3.25 ERA in that span.
Right fielder Josh Reddick was scratched two hours before game time because of back soreness; Melvin said Reddick had a little bit of a knot in his back after Friday’s 13-inning game and couldn’t get loose.
Tampa Bay starter Drew Smyly entered the night with a 2-11 record and a 5.64 ERA, but with the exception of a weird run in the first, he held Oakland in check for six innings. Jed Lowrie singled with one out in the first, Danny Valencia walked and Davis appeared to strike out swinging — but home-plate umpire Kerwin Danley called him back, saying he’d fouled the pitch. Davis looked incredulous, then whacked an RBI single.