For the first time, the A's repeated a walk-off hero. After 10 different A's served as walk-off heroes, Coco Crisp became a two-timer when he lobbed a "looping liner" over the head of Robinson Cano, scoring Derek Norris with the winning run as the A's beat the Yankees 5-4 in 12 innings. All four wins were by one run, each by a different score.
Facing submarining RHP Cody Eppley, Norris reached with one out on a single off Derek Jeter's glove -- it could have been ruled an E6 but when ruled a hit broke an 0 for 30 skid. Jemile Weeks sacrificed on a bunt he hoped to beat out and nearly did, and then Crisp used the bat like a wand...or should I say a broom?
How did we get there? Thanks in large part to Seth Smith, whose HR to straightaway CF tied the game in the 9th against Yankees' closer Raphael Soriano. It was only the 2nd blown save for Soriano in 26 chances. But we also got there thanks to incredible work by the A's bullpen, especially lefties Jordan Norberto (2.1 IP scoreless) and Jerry Blevins (2 IP scoreless), along with Grant Balfour, who struck out Derek Jeter looking to end the 10th.
You can even credit Bartolo Colon with excellent relief work -- he served as his own reliever after the A's fell behind 4-0 in the 4th, pitching until two outs in the 7th and keeping the Yankees off the board so that all told, A's pitchers blanked the Bronx "bombers" for the game's final 8 innings.
Other highlights included Brandon Inge's HR that put the A's on the board against CC Sabathia in the 5th, Kurt Suzuki's HR in the same inning -- his 1st of the season but 4th career against Sabathia.
So that's 11 walkoff wins, 5 wins in a row in a 6-game stretch that was supposed to solidify the A's status as "sellers," and the first 4-game sweep of the Yankees at the Oakland Coliseum...ever. Oh, and if the Angels lose tonight (they're starting their game against Texas as we speak), the A's will be in 2nd place in the AL West...and they will lead the first wild card.
Holy toledo.
