Khrush mashes MLB-best 42nd HR to beat Rays
ST. PETERSBURG -- Khris Davis was "klutch" when his team needed him the most, just as he has been all season.Davis led off the top of the 10th inning with a towering home run to the deepest part of the field to give Oakland a 2-1 win over Tampa Bay
ST. PETERSBURG --
Davis led off the top of the 10th inning with a towering home run to the deepest part of the field to give Oakland a 2-1 win over Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field on Friday night. It was the 18th time that one of his home runs accounted for the go-ahead runs in the game. Oakland is 2 1/2 games behind Houston, which lost to Arizona, in the American League West. The A's remained 1 1/2 games behind the Yankees for the top Wild Card spot.
"I wasn't thinking about the score too much," he said of the game-winning homer. "It was just good timing."
The blast, which landed just out of reach of a leaping
"I've always said he's one swing away from winning the game for you," manager Bob Melvin said. "Over the years, he's developed a knack for hitting good pitching and hitting dramatic homers late in games."
Before Davis' heroics against
"There was a lot going on for nothing going on as far the score goes," Melvin said.
After being held hitless through the first three innings by Rays opener
The Rays got that back in the bottom of the frame after Tommy Pham turned a blooper into shallow center into a double and scored on an RBI single by Joey Wendle. That would be all the offense the Rays would muster against starter
"That's fun baseball to be playing right now," Jackson said. "Every day it's a different hero, a different person coming through in clutch situations."
Closer
MOMENT THAT MATTERED
Reliever
"That was a Houdini inning," Melvin said. "That was the key of the game because they have a chance to score multiple runs there and didn't get anything out of it. That really shifts the momentum back into the other dugout."
SOUND SMART
Friday's victory pushed Oakland's win total to 90 on the season. The A's have reached that plateau seven times since 2000. Only the Yankees (13), Red Sox (12) and Cardinals (10) have reached 90 wins in a season more times this century.
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Catcher
"That changed any kind of momentum they had and eliminated me from having a big inning," Jackson said.
Lucroy also caught Smith trying to swipe second in the bottom of the first to bring his Major League-leading total of runners caught stealing to 25.
HE SAID IT
"I don't know, I've never been to the playoffs. I think this late in the season when we are competing for a spot, every game is precious." -- Davis, on if the game had a 'playoff atmosphere'
UP NEXT
Oakland will go with
J. Scott Butherus is a contributor to MLB.com based in St. Petersburg.