By Matthew Harrington

OAKLAND, Calif. – Throughout most of Monday night’s contest, the Oakland Athletics offense couldn’t muster any life against the Tampa Bay Rays pitching. The Swingin’ A’s appeared maligned, the bats non-existent after failing to convert with the bases loaded three times in the first nine innings. It turns out the A’s were just playing like the furry visitor who wandered around the outfield wall in the 10^th inning. Caught on camera for the game’s television broadcast was a large, furry creature strolling around the warning track.

Yes, an opossum is on the loose at O.Co Coliseum, and that’s just fine with A’s players. The unnamed critter heralded a 10th inning rally culminating in Derek Norris’ second career walk-off hit, lifting Oakland (68-43) to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.

“He’s been out here before when we’re warming up a few times,” said A’s starter Jeff Samardzija. “We might have to give him a name or a jersey. Hopefully, we’ll keep feeding him and he’ll keep bringing us wins and we’ll be alright.”

Heading into the bottom of the 10th inning, the A’s stranded a season-high 18 base runners. The inefficiency of offense had the hometown fans in doubt when former Athletics closer Grant Balfour took the mound to shut down his old teammates. Fans in the outfield seats greeted him with his “Balfour Rage” salute, drumming the air as the reliever loosened up.

“I think fans were waiting five months to do that,” said Norris. “He was here for three years. He was a fan favorite, a raging closer bulldogging it out there. I can see why he’s a fan favorite. I really think they were waiting for that for four months. Fans are going to get excited over strange things, but they’re supporting us which is the biggest thing. You can’t fault them for showing appreciation for one of their favorite players of the last few years.

Once again the A’s loaded the bases, this time with one out against an erratic Balfour (1-4, 4.93 ERA), but appeared on track to once again fail to bring the runner in from third.

“My thinking was, if we keep getting in that position, we were going to come through,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin. “I honestly did.”

Brandon Moss struck out while Derek Norris quickly found himself in an 0-2 hole against the Aussie. Fighting off the third strike, Norris sent the Balfour delivery back up the box for the game-winning hit, earning the catcher a shaving cream pie and Gatorade shower.

“Sometimes he falls into patterns,” said former batterymate Norris of Balfour. “Tonight he was mixing it up. He was throwing well. Once he gets runners in scoring position, he throws on another switch. I saw it time in and time out we’re he’d walk the first two guys and then go one-two-three. I was just looking for something over the plate.”

Jeff Samardzija pitched another gem for the A’s, going seven innings while allowing only two earned runs on three strikeouts.

“I thought my stuff was all there minus the splitter,” said Samardzija. “My splitter was garbage tonight. As the splitter goes, so goes my strike out total.”

He, however, had to settle for the no decision for the third time in six starts with Oakland. Instead, reliever Ryan Cook earned the “w” after pitching a flawless 10^th inning.

“That seems to be my M.O. since I’ve gotten here,” said Samardzija. “Go out and throw some innings then watch these guys put on a show at the end of the game. One of these games, I’ll be out there ripping the jersey myself. It’s fun watch. I love this team and how they play and don’t quit.”

Cook (1-1, 2.48) almost didn’t have a shot at the victory after the Rays (54-58) managed to put runners on the corners with one out in the top of the ninth against Sean Doolittle. Facing pinch hitter Brandon Guyer, Doolittle fielded a safety squeeze bunt attempt, charging the ball before underhanding it to Norris for the tag out of an advancing Sean Rodriguez. Doolittle struck out Kevin Kiermaier to end the ninth and keep the score knotted at 2-2.

“Their team, when first and third, has a lot of action,” said Norris, noting that a squeeze play was on the A’s radar. “There’s no way to defend a perfect bunt. Luckily he bunted it strong enough to Sean that he had time. It was still a difficult play to make and it was even more difficult with the new blocking the plate rule. I had to make sure I was giving him a lane then taking it away.”

Evan Longoria put Rays on top first with a second inning solo shot off Samardzija, his 8^th homer of the season, before Jed Lowrie tied the game up in the home half of the third on an RBI double. Desmond Jennings hit a two-out single in the fifth to put Tampa on top 2-1.

There were a couple bad pitches that bothered me,” said Samardzija. “That 2-0 to Longoria, the 1-2 to Jennings were dumb pitches. I’d like to have those back but other than that we made some great plays and had a chance.”

Josh Donaldson’s run-scoring single off Rays starter Alex Cobb an inning later set up the late-inning theatrics. Cobb went 5 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits and two runs while wriggling out of a bases-loaded jam in the first and second innings.

For Oakland, the win was much-needed to keep the Los Angeles Angels at bay for one more day. The Halos topped the crosstown rival Dodgers 5-0 with the A’s outcome yet to be determined, moving a half-game back of the AL West lead. A Rays win would have resulted in a tie atop the western hierarchy, this time between the Northern and Southern California teams, for the first time since April 28^th. Instead, the A’s kept their one-game gap another day.

Defending the advantage Tuesday night will be former Ray Jason Hammel. Hammel, a member of the 2008 AL Champions in Tampa, has yet to win with the A’s after coming over in the July 4^th trade that yielded Jeff Samardzija. He’ll be opposed by another starter who changed uniforms midseason, with Drew Smyly making his Rays debut after being a part of the haul Tampa received in exchange for shipping former Cy Young winner David Price to Detroit.

According to Melvin, leadoff man Coco Crisp will start Tuesday’s game after a pinch-hit appearance in the seventh inning Monday night. Crisp missed the previous seven games with neck stiffness.

“He looked good,” said Melvin. “We plan on playing him tomorrow.”