Jeff McNeil legs out winning single in 9th inning, lifts A’s to 6-5 victory over Blue Jays

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Jeff McNeil legged out an infield single to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Athletics beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 on Monday night after blowing a four-run lead.

Andrés Giménez hit a tying solo homer in the ninth for the Blue Jays (72-73), who remained a game behind Cleveland for the last American League wild card. Alejandro Kirk and Kazuma Okamoto also went deep, but Toronto ace Dylan Cease gave up five runs — four earned — in five innings.

Henry Bolte homered and scored three times from the leadoff spot for the A’s, who have won five of six following a five-game losing streak. The rookie drew three walks and stole three bases.

Zack Gelof also homered and knocked in a pair of runs for the Athletics. He swiped two bases and scored twice.

Max Muncy reached on an infield single to start the bottom of the ninth before Louis Varland (5-5) walked Donovan Walton and Bolte to load the bases with two outs. McNeil hit a slow roller to shortstop and beat the throw to first as the winning run scored.

Gelof drove in the first run with a ground-rule double in the first inning. He scored on a throwing error by Okamoto at third base.

Kirk homered to right-center leading off the second.

Carlos Cortes had an RBI single for the A’s in a two-run third and Bolte smashed his ninth homer over the right-field wall to make it 5-1 in the fifth.

Okamoto hit his 29th home run off starter Jacob Lopez in the seventh. Toronto scored twice more in the inning on an RBI double by Giménez and a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Josh Smith.

Giménez went deep against Hogan Harris (4-2) with one out in the ninth to tie it 5-all.

Up next

Blue Jays RHP José Soriano (11-7, 3.52 ERA) pitches Tuesday against RHP Jack Perkins (3-10, 6.50) in the second game of the series.

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Antonio Ray Harvey, The Associated Press