by Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s ended their seven-game losing streak Tuesday night as they beat the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4. It was a very entertaining game. A’s starter, lefty Felix Doubront pitched six strong innings for Oakland. He gave up just one hit and one run. The run was unearned. Doubront walked six batters. A.J.Ellis and Joc Pederson received four of them. The Dodgers’ ace, Clayton Kershaw was not as sharp as usual, but he was still very impressive. Kershaw went seven innings, and he allowed just one run on five hits. He walked two and struck out seven. The switch-pitcher, Pat Venditte, pitched a strong seventh for Oakland and retired the first two batters in the eighth. The A’s brought in Fernando Rodriguez to finish the inning, but he couldn’t get anyone out. The Dodgers scored three times to take a 4-1 lead and it looked like Kershaw was in line for the win. The A’s, however, came back in their half of the eighth, and they scored three times to tie the game. The A’s then won it in the tenth. Much maligned designated hitter, Billy Butler won it for the A’s by hitting a double to drive in Canha with the winning run.Butler got the traditional pie in the face and the Gatorade dousing.

The A’s scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Mark Canha, playing first base tonight, singled sharply to left field. Designated hitter Billy Butler walked to put men on at first and second with no out. A’s right fielder, Josh Reddick, laid down a beautiful sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third. Marcus Semien drove in Canha when he ground out to the second baseman. A’s lead 1-0 after two complete.

The Dodgers tied the game in the top of the fifth without the benefit of a hit. Doubront walked A.J.Ellis and Joc Pederson to start the inning. Ellis and Pederson walked to start the third, but Doubront escaped unscathed in that frame. Ellis and Pederson advanced on a passed ball. Dodger shortstop Jimmy Rollins ground out 4-3 driving in Ellis with the run. The official scorer ruled the run was unearned. The game is tied 1-1 in the middle of the fifth.

The Dodgers took a 4-1 lead in the top of the eighth. With two out, A’s manager Bob Melvin replaced switch-pitcher Pat Venditte. Fernando Rodriguez was brought in, and he could not get anyone out. Yasiel Puig singled; Andre Ethier also singled. Dodger catcher A.J.Ellis, who had walked three times in the game, drilled Rodriguez’s pitch into the left-field bleachers for his third home run of the year.

The A’s refused to quit. Kershaw was out of the game and the A’s attacked reliever Pedro Baez. Danny Valencia singled; Josh Phegley doubled to put men on at second and third with no out. Mark Canh, the hitting star of the night for Oakland, lined a double into the right field gap to drive in Valencia and Phegley. The Dodgers brought in lefty J.P. Howell to face Josh Reddick. Reddick reached on an infield single. The next hitter, Marcus Semien, singled to drive in Canha with the tying run. Howell retired Sogard for the second out. Don Mattingly brought in former A’s reliever Jim Johnson to face Billy Burns. Johnson entered the game with an ERA of 20.25, but he retired Burns to end the inning. Game tied at four heading to the ninth inning.

Neither team scored in the ninth, and the game went to extra innings. The A’s kept the Dodgers off the board in the top of the tenth. Yimi Garcia was on the mound for LA, and the A’s ended the game in dramatic fashion. Mark Canha led off the tenth with a double. Ir was the first four-hit game in Canha’s career. “country breakfast” Billy Butler won the game for Oakland with a double to right as the A’s won in a walk-off. Final score 5-4 in favor of the Green and Gold.

Game Notes- Mark Canha was the hitting star for the A’s. Canha had his first career four-hit game and his fifteenth multiple hit game of the year. Josh Reddick was 2-for-2. Danny Valencia was 2-for-5 and has three doubles and four home runs and nine RBIs in eleven games with the A’s.

Game two of the two-game series will be played Wednesday afternoon at 12:35 at the O.Co Coliseum.

Jesse Chavez will toil for Oakland, and Alex Wood will go for LA.

Time of game was 3 hours and 45 minutes, and there were 35,067 on hand to watch.