Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
After taking two of the first three games of a four-game road series with the Toronto Blue Jays from Friday-Sunday, the Oakland Athletics found themselves locked in a 1-all tie heading into the top of the ninth inning on Monday.
That’s when the Athletics exploded for four runs on four hits, scoring thanks to a two-run double by Alberto Callaspo, an RBI single by Stephen Vogt and a sacrifice fly by Eric Sogard, resulting in a 5-1 win over the Blue Jays.
Who was the catalyst for Oakland’s big ninth inning, you ask?
Look no further than Callaspo, whose one-out two-bagger plated Josh Donaldson and Brandon Moss with the go-ahead runs, giving the third baseman his fourth multi-hit performance in his last five games.
Since being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for second baseman Grant Green on July 30, the 30-year-old Venezuelan has provided the Athletics with some clutch hits, but none bigger than Monday’s late-inning knock.
While Oakland has played well for some time now, putting continuous pressure on the Texas Rangers, who are currently just one game ahead of them in the American League West, choosing to make such a minor move at the trade deadline has proven to be a wise decision to this point.
And you never know, it could be the deal that puts the A’s over the top and allows them to catch and pass the Rangers when all is said and done.
If nothing else, Callaspo kept them within a game of first place and allowed them to take three of four games from a decent club in a very meaningful mid-August series.
Josh McKinney is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
