“It’s definitely the most memorable game we’ve played, ” said Mark Canha, who doubled to lead off the 10th and scored on Billy Butler’s double.
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Leading by three runs in the eighth inning, the Oakland A’s scored four runs to come back and defeat the Dodgers in 11 innings, 5-4.
For all the analytics and acquisitions, the Dodgers’ bullpen is still handling leads like a wet bar of soap. “Even though you’re going up against a guy like Kershaw you still have to come and compete”.
Good thing Kershaw didn’t have a ball in his hand as the Dodgers’ bullpen bungled through the bottom of the eighth. Marcus Semien added a tying RBI single.
“Probably one of my better games this year”, Canha said. He struck out seven, walked two and threw 116 pitches, leaving the game with a 4-1 lead.
Ryan Vogelsong gave up two hits over six innings to get the win.
The interleague matchup attracted a rare sellout crowd to the Oakland Coliseum, a large majority clad in Dodger blue.
Eric Sogard hit a sharp bouncing ball up the middle but Kershaw spun and made a backward barehanded, no-look catch then threw Sogard out.
But home plate umpire Todd Tichenor disagreed, and when Kershaw then failed to cleanly field Valencia’s ground ball down the third base line, Kershaw after time was called slammed the ball into the grass, then picked it up and fired it on a bounce toward the Dodgers first-base dugout, nearly Roger Clemens-style.
Three fights broke out among a combustible mixture of 35,067 A’s and Dodgers fans. But in his fourth time up, with two runners on and two outs in the eighth inning, Ellis hit the first pitch from Fernando Rodriguez over the wall in left center field for a three-run home run and a brief 4-1 Dodgers advantage that didn’t last through the next half inning.
After both starters were taken out of the game due to high pitch counts, the battle of the bullpens started.
That was thanks to Doubront striking out eight and allowing only one hit, a single by Adrian Gonzalez in the second inning. With two days off coming up, Mattingly made the switch in order to keep Kershaw and Zack Greinke on turn in the rotation….
Puig pulled up after crossing first base and bent over in discomfort.
Athletics: OF Coco Crisp, who has spent two stints on the disabled list this season with neck and elbow injuries, was rested…. 3B Brett Lawrie (strained lat) was held out of the starting lineup.
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Dodgers: LHP Alex Wood (8-7) has pitched into the seventh inning in two of his three starts since being acquired from the Atlanta Braves at the trade deadline.
