The visiting Athletics will need to give Shea Langeliers some help Sunday afternoon if they are to avoid a three-game sweep in their series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Athletics have lost their first two games of the season despite the efforts of Langeliers, who is 5-for-8 with a walk, three home runs and six RBIs. Langeliers’ three homers tie him with Mike Piazza as the most by a catcher in his team’s first two games of a season since 1900.
The Blue Jays have two walk-off wins to open the series, 3-2 in the season opener on Friday and 8-7 in 11 innings on Saturday.
Langeliers had all three of the Athletics hits — two of them home runs — on Friday. His ninth-inning homer tied the game.
His third career grand slam gave the Athletics a 6-2 advantage in the seventh inning on Saturday but the bullpen squandered the lead.
“I feel great at the plate,” said Langeliers, who had seven homers in spring training. “I’m confident in my approach and confident in myself. I’m just looking to be consistent throughout this year.”
“Shea’s picked up where he left off in spring training,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “He’s the catalyst right now and as locked in as I’ve seen him in three years. The offense itself, I thought the at-bats were better today throughout the lineup and we will continue to build on that.”
The A’s took a 6-5 lead into the ninth and Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk tied with a homer. Each team scored once in the 10th before Ernie Clement hit the game-winning single in the 11th.
“It’s great to see,” Clement said. “We’re battling. We’re fighting back. We’re picking guys up. It’s what was special about last year’s team and it’s what will be special about this year’s team. We’re never out of it.”
“We’ve just got to focus on playing our game, and let the chips fall where they may,” Toronto manager John Schneider said.
Toronto is slated to start left-hander Eric Lauer (9-2, 3.18 ERA in 2025) against Athletics right-hander Luis Morales (4-3, 3.14 in 2025).
Lauer has faced the A’s once, allowing one unearned run in the six innings in a 2018 start. Morales has not faced the Blue Jays.
The Athletics have struck out 35 times in the first two games, 23 against Toronto’s starters.
Kevin Gausman recorded 11 strikeouts on Friday and Dylan Cease had 12 in his start on Saturday. Cease and Gausman became the first two teammates since 1901 to record at least 11 strikeouts each in the first two games of the season. Cease recorded the most strikeouts in a Blue Jays debut, surpassing the 11 by David Price in 2015.
“It’s what we were looking for when we acquired him,” Schneider said.
Cease was a free-agent signing in the offseason.
While the Athletics bullpen was failing, Toronto got a win from Rule 5 draft pick Spencer Miles in his major league debut, pitching around a walk in the top of the 11th.
“He checked all the boxes today,” Schneider said. “That was a big test. A good way to start.”
In another twist, Toronto reliever Mason Fluharty was hit on the right leg on consecutive comebackers to open the seventh. He left the game with a bruised knee. X-rays were negative and he is not expected to miss any time.
–Field Level Media
