Vargas hits winning single in 10th as Diamondbacks rally to beat A’s 6-5 after blowing lead in 9th

By: John Marshall, The Associated Press Posted: 12:15 AM CDT Wednesday, Jul. 22, 2026

PHOENIX (AP) — Ildemaro Vargas hit a game-winning single in the 10th inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied to beat the Athletics 6-5 on Tuesday night after blowing a two-run lead with two outs in the ninth.

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Arizona led 4-2 heading into the ninth and closer Paul Sewald appeared poised to close it out after getting the first two outs. But then Donovan Walton tripled and Jacob Wilson tied it with a two-run homer to left field, his seventh of the season.

The A’s went up 5-4 on Jonah Heim’s sacrifice fly off Kevin Ginkel (4-3) in the 10th, but Luis Medina (2-2) walked two in the bottom half to load the bases with nobody out.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Max Kepler, right, celebrates with third base coach J.R. House (71) after hitting a three-run home run against the Athletics in the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Nolan Arenado tied it with a bloop single and Vargas hit a chopper through a hole on the left side for Arizona’s seventh win in nine games.

Max Kepler hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Ketel Marte put Arizona up 4-1 with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Shea Langeliers hit a solo homer in the eighth, his 23rd of the season, to pull the Athletics to 4-2. The A’s have lost 12 of 14.

Arizona starter Kohl Drake gave up a run-scoring single to Alika Williams in the third but escaped a bases-loaded jam with a lineout and an inning-ending double play. He allowed a run on four hits in five innings with five strikeouts.

A’s starter Jack Perkins arrived in the desert with baseball’s third-highest ERA (6.87) among pitchers with at least 50 innings. He ran into trouble right away against the Diamondbacks, giving up Kepler’s three-run homer in the first.