Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Steve Pearce is tagged out at home plate by Oakland Athletics catcher Josh Phegley in the sixth inning at the Rogers Centre.Nick Turchiaro
It was only Josh Donaldson's sixth extra-base hit in his past 34 games and it proved valuable to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Donaldson's leadoff double helped spark a two-run fourth inning that helped the fading Jays to a 4-2 win over the Oakland A's at Rogers Centre on Monday night, snapping a three-game losing skid in the process.
The score was deadlocked at 1-1 when the struggling third baseman drove a double to the gap in right-centre. The Blue Jays would go on to load the bases on Oakland starter Chris Smith before singles by Ezequiel Carrera and then Ryan Goins each produced a run for a 3-1 Toronto lead.
The game was the first of a four-game set against the Athletics, who came into the game in last place in the A.L. West with a record identical to Toronto's.
The game did not start off well for Francisco Liriano, who had only managed to pitch a total of 3.2 innings in his past two outings. He issued consecutive walks to the first two Oakland batters, but was helped out when leadoff batter Rajai Davis was thrown out trying to steal third on a great throw by catcher Russell Martin. With Marcus Semien stationed at second, Oakland's Ryon Healy ripped a single to Steve Pearce that the Toronto left fielder let skip off his glove for an error that allowed Semien to score the game's first run.
Martin promptly tied the game in the bottom of the frame when he launched his 10th home run of the season to left off Smith.
Liriano regrouped to last five innings, allowing two runs off two hits to improve to 6-5.
Matt Chapman homered off Liriano in the top of the fifth, trimming the Toronto lead to one, but the Jays bullpen held strong after that, with Roberto Osuna coming on in the ninth to record his 25th save. Osuna struck out the side, and Toronto outhit the A's 8-2.
The Jays added an insurance run in the seventh when Justin Smoak walked with the bases loaded.