Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Melky Cabrera makes his way toward the dugout from the clubhouse before a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Wednesday, July 31, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
OAKLAND, Calif. — R.A. Dickey still believes the Toronto Blue Jays can make something of this season, even sitting in last place in the difficult AL East. They won Wednesday despite four errors.
On a day the Blue Jays brass kept the roster intact at the trade deadline, Jose Bautista hit a go-ahead double in the top of the 10th inning as Toronto defeated the Oakland Athletics 5-2 on Wednesday for a series win and their fifth victory in seven games following a seven-game skid.
“For us to only give up two runs on a day we had four errors is a real positive,” Dickey said. “I don’t think anybody really expected us to make a move in here. We have the team in here, at least the nucleus in here that’s going to get it done one way or another.”
Bautista lined a double to right against Jesse Chavez (2-3). Rookie catcher Stephen Vogt’s second costly passed ball of the game allowed Jose Reyes to advance after a leadoff infield single, and Reyes scored on Bautista’s hit.
Casey Janssen (4-0) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the win, while Brett Cecil finished for his first major league save in two opportunities.
Colby Rasmus added a two-run single off Jerry Blevins for insurance in the 10th.
“It wasn’t pretty. This is a brutal sun field,” manager John Gibbons said. “We got lucky there.”
A’s starter Bartolo Colon and Dickey each settled for no-decisions, leaving after six innings apiece with the game tied at 2.
A’s All-Star closer Grant Balfour struck out the side in order in the ninth, but Chavez couldn’t hold down the heart of Toronto’s batting order.
Oakland lost for the first time in nine games with Vogt starting behind the plate. His passed ball in the fourth allowed a run to score.
The A’s missed plenty of chances in losing for only the fourth time in 11 games — and the fourth in 11 extra-inning contests this year.
“It’s not something we’re going to go home and lose sleep about but it’s definitely frustrating,” third baseman Josh Donaldson said. “There were points in the game where they were almost trying to give us the game, and we weren’t able to take advantage of it.”
Aaron Loup allowed back-to-back singles with one out in the eighth, then gave way to Steve Delabar. He struck out Chris Young and Vogt.
Dickey wasn’t helped by four errors, two of which allowed the A’s to score, and the knuckleballer did not yield an earned run. The right-hander is winless in his last five starts, going 0-3 since beating the Tigers on July 1, and has only one victory in nine starts against the A’s.
Dickey collided with third baseman Brett Lawrie on an infield popup behind the mound to allow Eric Sogard to reach leading off the fifth, then Sogard scored on Maicer Izturis’ second miscue of the game when the second baseman chased down a popup in shallow right field but dropped it as he appeared to lose the ball in the sun.
“We were having with the sky, some sun,” Dickey said. “My particular play I just tripped over the Rosin bag and I heard Brett call for it late or I would have gotten out of the way, but I was on my way falling down.”
Colon, a 14-game winner and All-Star at age 40, allowed seven hits and two runs — one earned — struck out one and walked three.
The AL West-leading A’s lost consecutive games for the first time since opening the second half by dropping two in a row in Anaheim.
They wasted a chance in the fourth against Dickey after loading the bases with no outs. Oakland last faced a knuckleballer when they beat Tim Wakefield 15-5 on Aug. 26, 2011.
“That could have been the climax of the game if that gets out of hand, but it didn’t and it was good,” Dickey said.
A’s right fielder Josh Reddick was a late lineup scratch after he showed up at the ballpark with a headache, a day after teammate Jed Lowrie’s knee hit him in the head after both chased a foul ball along the right field line.
Manager Bob Melvin said it wasn’t considered to be a concussion but the team would be cautious and give him until Friday’s series opener with the Texas Rangers after an off day Thursday.
NOTES: Rajai Davis earned a start in LF for the Blue Jays against his former club and Melky Cabrera didn’t start for the second straight game with tired legs. He struck out as a pinch-hitter Wednesday. “Get him a start in his old stomping grounds,” Gibbons said of Davis. ... Cabrera said he hasn’t heard anything from Major League Baseball about whether or not he will face a suspension for his ties to the Biogenesis lab in Florida. “No, I don’t know,” he said. ... A’s LHP Brett Anderson is scheduled to face hitters Friday. Melvin said he likely would throw 15 pitches, sit down, then make 15 more. He might do another simulated game of sorts before beginning a rehab assignment. ... New A’s INF Alberto Callaspo, acquired from the division rival Angels on Tuesday night, joined his new team after flying in from Dallas. He flied out to right in the seventh as a pinch-hitter then stayed in at 2B.
