Seth Brown laced the tie-breaking RBI single in the sixth inning Thursday afternoon for the visiting Oakland Athletics, who overcame a five-run deficit to edge the New York Mets 7-6 in the rubber match of a three-game interleague set.
JJ Bleday began the comeback in the fourth inning by hitting a grand slam for the Athletics, who improved to an American League-best 17-10 since July 12. Tyler Nevin and Brown collected RBIs during the go-ahead rally against Reed Garrett (7-4).
Bleday and Shea Langeliers had three hits apiece while Brown had two singles despite not entering until he pinch-hit for first baseman Armando Alvarez in the fifth. Bleday also stole a base.
Tyler Ferguson (1-1), the Athletics’ third pitcher, allowed one hit over two innings. Mason Miller notched his 18th save with two hitless frames.
Mark Vientos hit a pair of homers and finished with three RBIs for the Mets. Luis Torrens had a two-run single while Jose Iglesias finished with two hits as New York fell for the fifth time in six games.
Athletics starter Mitch Spence allowed five runs on four hits and three walks while striking out one over 2 2/3 innings. Mets starter Jose Quintana gave up four runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out one over four innings.
Pete Alonso scored on a wild pitch in the second before the Mets extended their lead to 5-0 in the third, when Vientos hit a two-run homer and Torrens delivered his two-run single.
The Athletics sent eight batters to the plate in the fourth, when Bleday hit a two-out grand slam for a 5-4 deficit.
Vientos hit his second homer and 19th of the season with one out in the bottom of the inning. Oakland pulled within a run again in the top of the fifth after Zack Gelof scored on Huascar Brazoban’s wild pitch.
The Athletics finally went ahead against Garrett in the sixth, when Bleday scored on Nevin’s groundout and Langeliers trotted home on Brown’s single.
–Field Level Media