TORONTO (AP) - The biggest mistake Scott Kazmir made on the mound Friday night wasn’t a pitch to home plate, but an errant pickoff attempt that sailed into the outfield.
Liam Hendriks won his season debut, Steve Tolleson hit a two-run home run and the Toronto Blue Jays were victorious for the ninth time in 11 games, beating Kazmir and the Oakland Athletics 3-2. The Blue Jays capitalized on Kazmir’s error to score the decisive run in the third. Kevin Pillar hit a leadoff double and went to third when Kazmir wheeled and made a pickoff throw even though shortstop Jed Lowrie wasn’t at the base. Jose Reyes followed with an RBI grounder.
“That turned out to be costly,” Kazmir said. “I should have held on to it. It ended up being the difference-maker in the game.”
Lowrie said he was trying to keep Pillar from extending his lead, but never meant to make Kazmir think he was breaking for the bag.
“He looked back and thought I was going to break and I didn’t have any plans to,” he said.
Kazmir (5-2) allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out two.
Brandon Moss homered for the seventh time in 18 games for the Athletics, who lost their second straight following a five-game winning streak. Oakland’s loss was just its third in the past 14 games overall.
“We did the things that it takes to win a game, it just didn’t happen,” Moss said.
Oakland had at least one runner on in every inning but the second, but went 0 for 3 with men in scoring position.
“We put some good swings on balls and didn’t get the results we were hoping for,” Lowrie said.
Oakland used a single, a hit batter and a walk to load the bases with two outs in the fifth, but Hendriks got Lowrie to fly out to the warning track.
Pinch-hitting for Reddick, Alberto Callaspo cut it to 3-2 with a two-out RBI single in the eighth, but Cecil fanned Norris to keep the Blue Jays ahead.
Promoted from Triple-A to face the Athletics, who came in with the best record in the majors, Hendriks (1-0) allowed one run and three hits in 5 2-3 innings. The right-hander walked three and struck out three.
“He was able to move his fastball around and elevate it,” Lowrie said. “It looked like he kept guys just a little bit off balance.”
Oakland used a single, a hit batter and a walk to load the bases with two outs in the fifth, but Hendriks got Lowrie to fly out to the warning track.
Josh Donaldson walked to open the sixth and Moss followed with a fly ball to the warning track. After Donaldson was erased on a fielder’s choice grounder by Yoenis Cespedes, Loup came on and retired Josh Reddick on a diving stop by first baseman Edwin Encarnacion.
Pinch-hitting for Reddick, Alberto Callaspo cut it to 3-2 with a two-out RBI single in the eighth, but Cecil fanned Norris to keep the Blue Jays ahead.
Toronto evened its home record at 11-11 and beat Oakland for the fourth time in 12 meetings north of the border.
Aaron Loup pitched 1 1-3 innings, Steve Delabar got one out in the eighth and Brett Cecil got the final two, striking out Derek Norris to strand runners at first and second.
Casey Janssen finished for his sixth save in six chances, stranding Coco Crisp at third as Lowrie grounded out.
Tolleson hit Toronto’s ML-leading 68th home run when he connected off Kazmir in the second, his first of the year.
NOTES: Oakland’s ML-best road record dropped to 18-8. … Bench coach Chip Hale managed the Athletics while Bob Melvin attended his daughter’s college graduation in New York City. Melvin will rejoin the team Saturday. … Oakland’s John Jaso was scratched from the starting lineup after complaining of soreness following three games on Tampa Bay’s artificial turf. Jaso is scheduled to catch Saturday. Kyle Blanks replaced Jaso at DH. … Hale said 2B Nick Punto (left calf) is unlikely to play Saturday. … Toronto RH R.A. Dickey (4-4) faces Athletics RH Jesse Chavez (4-1) on Saturday.
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