Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s continued to play great baseball as they swept the three-game series versus the visiting Toronto Blue Jays at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Wednesday. The A’s won the game, 8-3, and Sean Manaea picked up his 10th win of the season.

Not only did the A’s sweep the three-game series, they won all seven games against the Blue Jays this year. It was the first time that the A’s had ever swept a season series from the Jays. The A’s, with a 30-10 record of since June 16, moved into a tie with the Seattle Mariners in the race for the second Wild Card slot. The Astros beat the Mariners on Wednesday. The A’s and Mariners trail the Astros by five games.

Manaea bounced back from his loss to the Rockies last weekend in Denver. Manaea went six-plus innings and gave up just five hits and one run. Jays’ starter Marcus Stroman went five innings and he was roughed up for 11 hits and seven runs.

The A’s scored twice in the second inning. Stroman walked the leadoff hitter Khris Davis. A’s first baseman Matt Olson doubled down the right-field line. Davis stopped at third. Stroman retired Mark Canha and Marcus Semien. The next hitter was Jonathan Lucroy. Lucroy, hitting over .300 with runners in scoring position, singled into short right field to drive in Canha and Semien. The A’s led 2-0.

The A’s put two more on the board in the fourth. Semien led off with a single on the first pitch from Stroman. Lucroy doubled to drive in Semien all the way from first base. It was Lucroy’s third RBI of the game. Franklin Barreto grounded out, and that allowed Lucroy to advance to third. Lucroy scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Nick Martini. The A’s were in the driver’s seat 4-0.

The A’s continued to put more runs on the scoreboard as they plated three in the sixth. Mark Canha started the rally with a single to left. Semien followed with a single that sent Canha to third. Lucroy had his third knock of the game to drive in Canha. Barreto followed with a double that plated Semien and Lucroy to make it a 7-0 game.

Manaea started the seventh inning and gave up a single to Russell Martin. A’s manager Bob Melvin replaced Manaea with J.B. Wendelken to pitch. Aledmys Diaz reached on a fielder’s choice. Martin was out at second. Wendelken walked Darnell Sweeney to put men on at first and second. Wendelken struck out Brandon Drury for the second out. Wendelken gave up a double to Randal Girchuk. Diaz crossed home plate with the Blue Jays’ first run of the game. Teoscar Hernandez walked. Wendelken was struggling and had thrown 35 pitches in the inning. Melvin brought in Ryan Buchter to face Justin Smoak. Buchter struck out Smoak to end the inning.

Buchter stayed in the game to pitch the eighth. With one out, Yangervis Solarte worked Buchter for a walk. Jays’ catcher Russell Martin blasted a home run to make it a 7-3 game. Buchter retired Diaz for the second out. Melvin brought in Lou Trivino to get the third out of the game. In the bottom half of the inning, Barreto hit his fourth home run of the year to end the scoring. Trivino retired the Jays in the ninth and the A’s won 8-3.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the A’s improved to 64-46, and moved into a tie with the Mariners in the race for the second Wild Card slot.

The A’s line score was eight runs, 13 hits, and no errors. The Jays’ line was three runs, eight hits, and no errors.

The A’s hitting stars were Jonathan Lucroy and Franklin Barreto. Lucroy had three hits, four RBIs, and two runs. Barreto also had three hits, including his fourth home run along with three RBIs.

Attendance was 17,088.

Up Next: The A’s are off on Thursday. On Friday, the A’s will start a three-game series versus the Detroit Tigers. A’s lefty Brett Anderson will pitch, and Tigers’ lefty Blaine Hardy (4-3, 3.61 ERA) will make his third consecutive start.