Here are the A's top 10 games of the decade

December 3rd, 2019

OAKLAND -- Short on championships but long on talent and energy, the A’s consistently ranked among baseball’s most exciting teams throughout the decade. They posted an 839-781 record from 2010-19 and finished with at least 88 wins in five seasons during that span.

Striving to reach the World Series for the first time since 1990 proved frustrating for the A’s, but their efforts produced a lot of good baseball. Here’s a Top 10 list of A’s games that occurred within the decade:

1. Sweep caps winning surge
Date: Oct. 3, 2012

Trailing Texas by a game entering a season-ending three-game series against the Rangers, the A’s completed a three-game sweep that gave them the AL West crown. This 12-5 victory in the season finale concluded Oakland’s surge. Texas led 5-1 after three innings, but the A’s stormed back with six fourth-inning runs and added four more in the eighth. Four of the runs in the fourth scored with two outs.

2. Perfection for Grandma
Date: May 9, 2010

Left-hander became the 19th pitcher to throw a perfect game in a 4-0 win over the Rays. It happened to be Mother’s Day, and fittingly enough, Braden’s grandmother, Peggy Lindsey, was in the stands at Oakland. Lindsey raised Braden after his mother died of cancer when he was in high school.

3. A’s tame Tigers with knockout ninth
Date: Oct. 10, 2012

Trailing Detroit, 2-1, in the best-of-five American League Division Series, the A’s overcame a 3-1 deficit with three ninth-inning runs for a 4-3 victory. ’s two-run double off José Valverde tied the score and set up Coco Crisp’s game-winning single.

4. A’s ninth(-inning) symphony strikes chord
Date: Oct. 5, 2013

After dropping the ALDS opener against the Tigers, the A’s pulled even with this spine-tingling performance at the Coliseum. The teams played to a scoreless tie until the ninth inning, when the end came quickly. Oakland loaded the bases against Detroit reliever Al Alburquerque on singles by and Smith and an intentional walk to Josh Reddick. Facing Rick Porcello, lined a single to left field, scoring Céspedes with the winning run.

5. Prize fight goes 19 rounds for A’s
Date: April 29, 2013

The A’s demonstrated extreme determination to win this 19-inning marathon, which ended at 1:41 a.m. when clubbed a two-run homer for a 10-8 win over the Angels. At six hours and 32 minutes, it remains the longest game in A’s history. Oakland overcame deficits of 6-1 and 7-2 before finally tying the score in the ninth inning. Both teams scored in the 15th inning to prolong matters.

6. Manaea’s a menace to Bosox
Date: April 21, 2018

The Red Sox owned a 17-2 record, but they were no match for , who pitched the 12th no-hitter in Athletics history in the 3-0 victory and the seventh since the franchise settled in Oakland in 1968. Manaea walked two and struck out 10 in composing his masterpiece.

7. Twice is nice for Fiers
May 7, 2019

recorded the 300th no-hitter in Major League history by subduing the Reds, 2-0. He walked two and struck out six while throwing 83 of his 131 pitches for strikes. The right-hander also no-hit the Dodgers while pitching for the Astros on Aug. 21, 2015.

8. A’s paint strike zone Gray
Sept. 28, 2014

remained in total control throughout a 103-pitch, complete-game effort in a 4-0 win over the Rangers that sent the A’s into the AL Wild Card Game against Kansas City. Gray was at his finest in allowing six hits, striking out five and walking none while throwing 74 pitches for strikes.

9. A’s rally never too late
July 24, 2018

Trailing 10-2 through six innings, the A’s struck for three runs in the seventh inning, four runs in the eighth, one in the ninth and three more in the 10th to record a remarkable 13-10 victory over the Rangers. 's ninth-inning homer off Keone Kela forced extra innings before ’ three-run homer off Austin Bibens-Dirkx put Oakland on top.

10. A breathtaking defeat
Sept. 30, 2014

Yes, this was an A’s defeat, 9-8, to the Royals. It also was a remarkable game. Matched against the Royals in the AL Wild Card Game, the A’s owned a 7-3 lead before Kansas City scored three runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to pull even. The A’s, who left the bases loaded in the ninth, inched ahead 8-7 in the 12th on ’s RBI single. But Eric Hosmer’s one-out triple began a rally against three A’s relievers that ended with Salvador Pérez’s two-out RBI single off Jason Hammel.