By Matthew T.F. Harrington

AP photo: Oakland A’s catcher Stephen Vogt waits for the toss in the third inning against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays at the Oakland Coliseum on Friday night as the Jays Josh Donaldson slide in for the score

OAKLAND, Calif. – The scene unfolded time in and time out in the first half of the season for the Oakland Athletics. The offense stakes the young starter to a small early lead only to see him squander it by giving up a ghastly amount of runs, ultimately falling in a blowout loss. Friday night, the A’s returned from the All-Star break by falling into old habits, jumping on the Toronto Blue Jays early at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum before giving up twice as many runs as they scored. But something was different Friday, thanks in large part to the three-through-five hitters in the A’s lineup.

The A’s (39-51) twice erased deficits Friday night, ultimately rallying back from a 7-3 fourth inning disadvantage by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to win 8-7. Stephen Vogt knocked in two runs, including the game-winning RBI in the seventh inning and Josh Reddick reached base four times.

“It was a huge win,” said Vogt. “There was a lot of emotion tonight. There was a lot of fire in our dugout. What a way to start off the second half.”

The heart of the A’s order, Reddick, Khris Davis and Vogt went eight for ten with two walks knocked in seven runs. Ryan Madson picked up his 18^th save of the season, while Ryan Dull (3-2, 1.94 ERA) picked up the win with his scoreless 1 2/3 innings.

Oakland jumped on Jays starter Marcus Stroman early, plating a pair of runs in the first inning on an RBI single by Davis and a run-scoring ground out by Marcus Semien, but Toronto scratched out a run off A’s starter Daniel Mengden in the bottom of the inning after Michael Saunders opened the inning on second base courtesy of a Stephen Vogt throwing error. Saunders would scamper home on after Russel Martin moved him to third on a ground out and Troy Tulowitzki pushed him home with a bounce-out to second.

Mengden scuffled in the third, allowing loading the bases with one out. The rookie, starting in place of Rich Hill who missed his start due to a blister, gave Toronto a run on a game-tying wild pitch. He then surrendered a pop out to Saunders that scored Josh Donaldson in the process for a 3-2 Jays lead.

Josh Reddick, ignoring the speculative grumblings on the trade rumor mill, stepped up to the plate to a “Careless Whisper” of his own. With WHAM!’s hit, a Reddick classic last season, blaring over the loud speaker the A’s outfielder stepped to the dish looking to make an impact.

“He gave me a heads up,” said Melvin. “He didn’t tell me which song but he said ‘You’re going to know it, and you’re going to like it.’ I know it, I like it. He should stick with it.”

He would do so, skying a Stroman offering over the wall in straightaway centerfield for his sixth homer of the season and a 3-3 tie ballgame.

“That’s one of the longest ones I’ve seen him hit,” said Vogt of Reddick.

“The three hitter is awfully important to a team,” said Melvin. “The season he’s having, before he got hurt, was probably an All-Star season for him. It took him a while to get his timing back. If he’s not in the lineup, we don’t win the game.”

The Jays jumped all over Mengden again in the top of the fourth after the first four batter reached base on three hits and a walk. By the time Mengden recorded the first out of the inning, three runs had already scored. Donaldson singled home Devon Travis for the fourth run of the frame, chasing Mengden after just 3 1/3 innings and seven runs (six earned) with six hits and a pair of wild pitches.

With a large lead built up, Jays manager John Gibbons gave his starter a long leash, perhaps a bit too long. The Athletics’ lone All-Star Vogt opened the bottom of a contentious fourth with a single and moved to second on a passed ball. Semien and Yonder Alonso both struck out looking, both disagreeing with home plate umpire Chris Wegner. Alonso was ejected after tossing his helmet down in frustration and barking at Wegner. Melvin came out to discuss the pair of borderline pitches with Wegner and, like Alonso, was ejected for the first time all season.

“It was something that needed to happen,” said Vogt after the game perhaps alluding to the spark the A’s were lacking up to that point or to Wegner’s strike zone.

Once the debate ended, Jake Smolinski made up for an earlier double play by single the catcher home and cutting the Jays lead to 7-4. While the A’s wouldn’t score any more runs, they weren’t done just yet. With two outs Reddick would reach base for the third time in the game on a single. Davis Crushed Stroman’s 0-1 offering over the 388 foot sign in right center to bring the A’s within one. Vogt would clear out Stroman’s 2-1 delivery for a solo shot, the fourth set of back-to-back A’s homers of the year, to tie the game at 7-all. It was Davis’ 20^th homer of the season, good for ninth in the American league, while Vogt hit his eight dinger of the campaign.

“He continues to amaze me,” said Vogt of Davis. “Then I got that heater up in the zone.”

The man who tied the game also put the A’s ahead in the bottom of the seventh. After reliever Brett Cecil picked up two quick outs, Reddick reached base for the fourth time on a walk, then Davis singled for his third hit of the game to put the leading run in scoring position. Vogt laced a single to center, but Kevin Pillar came up gunning and hit Martin in the air at the plate. Martin applied the tag at the plate on the knee as Reddick’s cleat touched home, with Wegner calling him out at the plate.

Bench coach Mark Kotsay, taking over for the ejected Melvin, called for a review. After a lengthy review, nearly three minutes, crew chief Wegner signaled safe for Reddick’s fourth run of the game and an 8-7 lead.

“That’s one of the closest ones I’ve seen,” said Vogt. “I thought he was safe, as objectively as I can see it.”

“We have to be aggressive there,” said Melvin. “It was the right call to send him. He was safe, made a good slide. It ended up a good outcome for us.”

The run put Cecil (0-6, 5.52) on the wrong end of the decision.The A’s Bullpen would hold on, pitching a total of 5 2/3 innings of scoreless ball to send the Jays (51-41) to defeat.

“All of our relievers came in today and did a nice job for us,” said Melvin. “They had to go a bit earlier. I had to go to Axford an inning earlier than we wanted to, but Rzepczynski and Dull gave us an inning-plus. That was huge and Madson made quick work in the ninth.

The A’s turn to Sonny Gray in Saturday’s matinee while former Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey gets the ball for the Jays.