Davis grand slam in ninth sends A’s past Rangers 8-5
Shawn Tolleson’s days as the Texas Rangers’ closer might be over after Khris Davis launched a walk-off grand slam, his third homer of the game, with two outs in the ninth inning Tuesday night to give the Oakland A’s an 8-5 win.
Tolleson blew a save for the fourth time this season and for the second consecutive outing after Ian Desmond hit a two-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth to give the Rangers a 5-4 lead.
Manager Jeff Banister admitted that he is concerned about who pitches the ninth inning.
“I definitely have a level of concern there,” Banister said. “I’m not ready tonight to make a reactionary decision or statement on that. It’s the fourth blown save there. It’s challenging as it is. We’ve got to be able to make pitches in that situation at the end of the game and close games out when we fight back and take the lead.”
But Stephen Vogt started the ninth with an infield single and was ruled to be in his running lane when Tolleson’s throw to first hit him. Vogt then went to third as the next batter, Coco Crisp, doubled.
After Billy Burns popped out, Tolleson intentionally walked Josh Reddick to load the bases.
Danny Valencia, who homered in the second and delivered an RBI single in the seventh off Cole Hamels, popped to shallow right field. Davis was next, and he hit the sixth pitch of the at-bat into the seats in left field for the first walk-off homer, grand slam and three-homer game of his career.
“At the end there, I was throwing fastballs because he’s already hit two off-speed pitches out today,” Tolleson said. “I was just trying to beat him with fastballs in.”
Nomar Mazara and Adrian Beltre had back-to-back homers in the Rangers’ three-run fourth. The Rangers were down to their last out in the ninth before Rougned Odor singled up the middle. Desmond followed with a deep shot to left field to give the Rangers the lead.
Tolleson couldn’t hold it. Someone else could soon be getting a chance at his job.
“It’s been pretty tough,” Tolleson said. “I don’t really think I’ve had a slump like this in my career. It’s frustrating. Our guys battled all game long, and for Ian to come up with that big home run there and take the lead, they’re counting on me to get three outs. When you don’t get it done, it’s frustrating.”
Hitting: Ian Desmond’s two-out two-run homer in the ninth was his sixth homer of the season. It came after a Rougned Odor single after two quick outs to start the inning. ... There were plenty of hits, 15 to be exact, but the Rangers were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. ... Nomar Mazara and Adrian Beltre hit back-to-back homers to start the fourth, and Prince Fielder and Mitch Moreland followed with singles. Fielder scored as Ryan Rua bounced into a double play. ... Fielder had singles in his first two at-bats, but has gone 25 games without a home run.
Pitching: Cole Hamels was undone by three solo homers, two on back-to-back shots by Danny Valencia and Khris Davis to start the second and Davis’ second, in the sixth. ... Hamels dodged trouble in the fourth and fifth, but couldn’t in the seventh as the right-handed-hitting Valencia singled in a two-out run off the left-hander. ... Righty Matt Bush, who was warm for Valencia, entered to get Davis swinging, but manager Jeff Banister said he trusted Hamels, the staff ace, there. ... Bush tossed a perfect eighth and hasn’t allowed a hit in his first three appearances. ... The A’s had runners at second and third with no outs in the ninth and the bases loaded with one out, and won it with two outs as Davis found the seats in left field off Shawn Tolleson.
This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 11:57 PM with the headline "Davis grand slam in ninth sends A’s past Rangers 8-5."