OAKLAND -- A two-run ninth-inning deficit and a five-man infield proved to be conquerable obstacles Sunday for the A's, who beat the Angels, 6-5, in 11 innings on the longest single of the season for Jonathan Lucroy.
With Jake Jewell, their fifth pitcher of the day, working the 11th, the Angels brought left fielder Justin Upton in to play between second and third for both Mark Canha and Lucroy.
Canha, whose two-out single in the ninth forced extra innings, drew a walk, loading the bases. Lucroy then hit the second pitch of his at-bat to the wall in center field that the Angels' outfield didn't even bother to chase. The game-winning single gave the A's a 5-5 split of their homestand.
"I was trying not to put the ball on the ground there," Lucroy said of the odd circumstance. "I was looking for something in the air the other way, and he gave me a pitch I could handle."
Jed Lowrie, who singled to start the 11th, scored from third as the A's rushed the field.

"We needed it, man" said Lucroy, noting that the club had been swept by the Astros last week. "On the homestand, we had some good teams coming in here. We were trying to make up for that Astros series."
While Lucroy got his first walk-off RBI since Sept. 16, 2016, the game was dominated by Canha. The center fielder hit a two-run homer in the second inning -- he homered on both Mother's Day and Father's Day this year -- and in the ninth, he looped a single to center that scored Dustin Fowler with the tying run.

If that weren't enough, in the 10th, having moved to left field, Canha sprinted 98 feet to turn in a terrific running catch of a drive off the bat of Andrelton Simmons. It was given a 5 percent catch probability, making it a 5-star catch and the most difficult catch for the A's in their first 72 games.

"It was hit, and as an outfielder, it was, 'I've gotta go.' There was nothing much to read," Canha said. "Just run as hard as you can. I told myself I was going to catch that ball or break my neck trying."
"I thought there was no way he was going to catch that ball," said A's reliever Liam Hendriks, who was positioned in the bullpen close to where Canha set up for the play. "But he just ran it down."
The A's entered the ninth down, 5-3, before Marcus Semien homered and Canha's game-tying single. The A's bullpen shut down the Angels the final four innings, including winning pitcher Blake Treinen setting down all six men he faced, striking out three.

The comeback eased the burden of starter Daniel Mengden, who gave up two homers and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. After allowing just six homers and eight walks in 12 starts in April and May, he has allowed eight homers and 10 walks in June.

"I made a couple of mistakes," Mengden said of the homers. "I'm just missing spots. But we know we are in every game. With a few good at-bats, we're right there."

UP NEXT
After a day off Monday, the A's open a two-game set in San Diego, with right-hander Paul Blackburn facing Padres lefty Eric Lauer. It will be Blackburn's third start since joining the rotation, and the first since he gave up eight runs in 1 1/3 innings against the Astros.