OAKLAND, Calif.—Finally a regular player in the big leagues, Abraham Toro hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning after Seth Brown had hit a tying two-run drive the previous inning, and the Oakland Athletics snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 5–4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.
“When the manager trusts you and puts you there every day, it just gives you confidence as a player, and you play more relaxed,” Toro said. “I was thankful I was able to play good the last couple days, so I just want to take this opportunity and keep going for the rest of the year.”
Colorado’s Ezequiel Tovar hit two solo home runs for his first career multi-homer game, and Ryan McMahon added a two-run drive before the A’s rallied against Justin Lawrence and Tyler Kinley (2–1).
Oakland’s Lucas Erceg (2–2) pitched the eighth before flame-throwing closer Mason Miller struck out the side in order in the ninth for his ninth save in as many chances.
J.D. Davis also homered as Oakland avoided matching the longest losing streak in the major leagues this year. Miami lost nine in a row from March 28–April 6. The A’s, who drew an announced crowd of 4,005, had been swept in consecutive series.
Oakland held a team meeting in Kansas City after Sunday’s 8–4 loss. Everybody hopes Tuesday was a start to getting back in a groove.
“It’s momentum,” Manager Mark Kotsay said. “Saturday, Sunday in K.C., we had 11 hits each day, and we didn’t come up on the winning side. Tonight, even though we were down, you felt the energy still in the dugout, that we still had some outs left. We still had some at-bats, and that was a good sign.”
Kris Bryant returned from the injured list to go 0 for 4 with a strikeout for the Rockies as they continued an almost-weeklong stay in the Bay Area after being swept in a three-game series at San Francisco over the weekend. It was the Rockies’ first visit to the Coliseum since July 28–29, 2020, during the pandemic-shortened 60-game season.
Colorado starter Cal Quantrill struck out eight—his second-most in a game this season—and walked one over six innings, allowing two runs on three hits, but didn’t end up with a decision.
McMahon connected in the first after A’s starter Aaron Brooks hit Charlie Blackmon with a pitch to start the game.
