Athletics Beat Marlins 7-6 In 14 Innings
MIAMI (AP) — Josh Donaldson's two-out RBI single scored the go-ahead run from second base in the 14th inning, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Miami Marlins 7-6 Saturday.
For the second game in a row, the Athletics won despite squandering a 4-0 lead. They also overcame a blown save by Sean Doolittle, whose streak of 26 2-3 innings ended when Miami scored the tying run in the ninth.
Jeff Francis came on with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 14th to earn his first career save. He struck out Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Donovan Solano flied out to end the game.
AL West leader Oakland has won three in a row and is 6-1 in interleague play.
The Marlins have played five games lasting 13 or 14 innings this season, all since June 6, going 0-5.
The A's were blanked for five consecutive innings before breaking through in the 14th. Brandon Moss doubled with two out against Jacob Turner (2-6). Donaldson singled on the next pitch, and Moss barely beat the throw home from center fielder Jake Marisnick.
The RBI was Donaldson's team-high 60th this season.
Jim Johnson (4-2) pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings.
The 4-hour, 47-minute game left plenty of time for oddities. Oakland's Coco Crisp scored from third on a strikeout, while teammate Jed Lowrie hit into a 5-6-3 double play. The Athletics' Yoenis Cespedes was out when he rose after a slide on a steal attempt, lifted his foot off second base and was tagged.
Both teams ran out of healthy position players. Tommy Milone, scheduled to pitch for Oakland on Sunday, flied out when he pinch hit in the 12th.
Moss and Alberto Callaspo had two RBIs apiece for the Athletics, who scored four times in the first inning against Nathan Eovaldi. But Miami rallied for a 5-4 lead.
The A's also squandered a 4-0 lead in their 9-5 win Friday.
Athletics right fielder Josh Reddick left the game in the fourth inning with a strained right knee, and is day to day.
Crisp's alert baserunning helped the A's score in the fifth to make it 5-all. He was at third with one out when Moss struck out and the ball rolled away from Saltalamacchia. When Saltalamacchia threw to first for the out, Crisp sprinted home and easily beat the return throw with a headfirst slide.
Sonny Gray couldn't protect Oakland's early lead. He pitched five innings and tied a season high with five runs allowed, leaving him with an ERA of 5.50 over his past six starts. The Athletics' vaunted rotation has an ERA of 6.14 over the past 11 games.
Miami trailed 6-5 when Giancarlo Stanton doubled with one out in the ninth, ending closer Doolittle's streak of 24 consecutive batters retired. On the next pitch, Casey McGehee hit a game-tying single, snapping Doolittle's streak of scoreless innings.
Doolittle blew a save for the second time in 13 chances.
(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
RELATED CONTENT:
