Blue Jays snap out of it

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Ben Margot / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Toronto�s Edwin Encarnacion is congratulated by teammates after scoring in the 11th inning in Oakland on Saturday. (CP)

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Ben Margot / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Ricky Romero had a strong outing but came away with a no-decision. (CP)

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Toronto manager John Farrell, who celebrated his 50th birthday, said luck had nothing to do with it.

"We earned that one," he said. "It's been a while since we shook hands after a game. Oddly enough, we had to play another extra-inning game to do it."

David Cooper hit a tying homer in the ninth inning and Edwin Encarnacion scored on catcher George Kottaras' throwing error in the 11th, lifting the Blue Jays over the Oakland Athletics 3-1 Saturday.

The Blue Jays ended a six-game losing streak a day after they fell to the A's 5-4 in 15 innings.

"We took some calculated chances and gambled on a few pitches," Farrell said. "That last inning we rolled the dice, trying to make something happen."

Cooper hit a solo homer off Ryan Cook with one out in the ninth. Cook gave up a tying, three-run shot in the ninth on Friday night.

Encarnacion hit a leadoff single in the 11th against Jerry Blevins (4-1). Encarnacion stole second with one out and Rajai Davis walked.

As Jeff Mathis struck out, Encarnacion stole third and scored on Kottaras' error. Moises Sierra, who had three hits, added an RBI double.

"I guess you can't walk every game off," said A's third baseman Brandon Inge, who had a 13-game hitting streak end.

Jesse Chavez (1-1), promoted from Triple-A on Friday, got the win and Darren Oliver recorded his second save.

The A's had won three in a row. They loaded the bases in the 10th, but Josh Reddick was called out on strikes.

Oakland went into extra innings for the sixth time in its last 24 games, a span that includes a pair of 15-inning wins.

"You're not going to win all those games, yet you expect to," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "We didn't come through this time."

A's rookie right-hander A.J. Griffin left with two outs in the second with tightness in his pitching shoulder.

Griffin, who lowered his ERA to 2.42, allowed a leadoff single to Yunel Escobar and then retired five straight before being replaced by Jordan Norberto, who gave up four hits over a career-high 3 2/3 innings.

Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero gave up a run and three hits in seven innings. He remained winless over his last eight starts, in which he received a total of six runs of support.

"It comes down to trusting my fastball," Romero said. "Everything else works on that. When I am able to control my fastball, the game comes to me instead of me falling behind."

Derek Norris hit an RBI double in the Oakland second. The A's loaded the bases with two outs in fifth but Romero struck out Michael Taylor.

Sierra was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Anthony Gose's two-out double in the second.

The Blue Jays also had two runners in scoring position in the fourth before Norberto got Yan Gomes on a short flyout and Sierra on a grounder.

NOTES: Davis extended his hitting streak to a season-high nine games. ... Toronto RHP Brandon Morrow threw 43 pitches Friday in his second rehabilitation start for Class A Dunedin. ... LHP Aaron Laffey (2-2, 4.20) goes for the Blue Jays in Sunday's series finale against LHP Tommy Milone (9-8, 3.68). ... The A's became the first AL team to win a pair of 15-inning games on the same homestand.

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 5, 2012 B16