Blue Jay Isiah Kiner-Falefa knocks in five runs Sunday, last call at his favourite ballpark to hit.
The Oakland Coliseum has always been one of Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s favourite ballparks in which to hit, and he gave the place a proper send-off with the biggest game of his career: driving in five runs in the Blue Jays’ 6-4 win over the A’s in 10 innings on Sunday.
The infielder, signed to a widely panned two-year, $15-million (U.S.) contract in the off-season, put the Jays on the board with a two-run single in the second inning, then slammed a three-run double to deep left-centre in the 10th, ushering home the winning runs. In between, he bunted the tying run into scoring position in the eighth.
The five ribbies were a career high for Kiner-Falefa. The seven-year veteran’s .327 average in 27 games at Oakland Coliseum is the highest for any ballpark in which he’s had at least 55 at-bats.
The Jays did not take many actions in between. The Jays’ final hit came from Kiner-Falefa in the second inning, and Daulton Varsho started the eighth inning with a single of his own. The A’s overcome an early 2-0 hole because to a string of 16 consecutive strikeouts by Rule 5 choice Mitch Spence, who was making just his fifth professional start. Oakland’s first run came through a home run by Brent Rooker off of Nate Pearson in the sixth. Abraham Toro, a native of Longueuil, Quebec, gave the home team the lead an inning later with a two-run bloop single over a drawn-in infield.
The Jays knotted the score in the eighth inning with star closer Mason Miller approaching. After Davis Schneider, a pinch hitter, bunted Varsho across, he stole third and scored on a deep sac fly to right.
The game stayed tied until Kiner-Falefa played hero in the 10th.
Immediately after Kiner-Falefa’s go-ahead double, Schneider hit a foul pop toward the Jays dugout. Oakland first baseman Tyler Soderstrom raced over and Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, in an attempt to get out of the way, delivered a textbook shoulder-to-shoulder bodycheck, dropping Soderstrom to the ground. Schneider was called out because of Kikuchi’s obstruction.
Génesis Cabrera worked a perfect 10th — three ground balls, all hit to Kiner-Falefa at second — for his first save since June 22, 2022 when he was with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 32-22 Jays will try to climb to .500 when the open a three-game series against the Brewers in Milwaukee on Monday night.
