Esteury Ruiz’s line drive short-hopped off the glove of Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed for a walk-off single in the 12th inning Tuesday night, allowing the host Oakland Athletics to snatch a 9-8 interleague win.
The A’s were still in the contest in large part due to a game-tying grand slam from Ryan Noda five innings earlier.
After neither team had scored since the seventh, Ruiz got his shot at being the hero in the 12th. Arizona’s sixth pitcher, Scott McGough (0-4), handcuffed by an automatic runner at second to start the inning, intentionally walked Jace Peterson with one out and then allowed an infield single to Nick Allen that loaded the bases.
Ruiz then lined a shot right at Ahmed, who was playing in, and benefitted when the shortstop couldn’t make the tough play. It was ruled a single, giving Ruiz a second walk-off hit this season.
Oakland’s sixth pitcher, Austin Pruitt (1-1), worked three hitless, scoreless innings to earn the win.
Noda had given the A’s a shot at snapping a three-game losing streak with a two-out grand slam in the seventh, turning a four-run deficit into an 8-8 tie. The slam was the first of Noda’s career, and the homer was the fourth of his rookie season.
Seeking a fifth straight win, the Diamondbacks used a four-run fifth and two-run seventh to take an 8-4 lead. Emmanuel Rivera had a two-run double and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. a two-run homer in the fifth before Ahmed’s RBI double and Gabriel Moreno’s run-scoring single produced the seventh-inning scoring.
Christian Walker hit a two-run homer, his 10th of the season, off A’s starter Kyle Muller to give the Diamondbacks an immediate 2-0 lead in the first.
Allen’s first home run of the year and Ramon Laureano’s fourth, both solo shots, helped the A’s gain a 3-2 lead through three innings.
The Allen and Laureano homers came off Diamondbacks starter Tommy Henry, who left with a 6-4 lead after pitching 4 2/3 innings. He allowed six hits and three walks while striking out four.
Muller was pulled three batters into the fifth, charged with five runs on eight hits in four-plus innings. He struck out three and didn’t walk anyone.
Allen finished with three hits for the A’s, while Ruiz and Brent Rooker, who scored twice, had two each. Laureano, who raced home with the game-winner, also scored twice.
Rivera totaled three hits, two RBIs and two runs for the Diamondbacks, who out-hit the A’s 15-12. Ketel Marte also had three hits, while Gurriel, Moreno and Walker had two each.
–Field Level Media