OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Oakland Athletics slugger Khris Davis didn’t mind much being skipped over for a post-game cream pie to the face and Gatorade bath following his game-winning home run.
Seeing rookie Matt Chapman get the full treatment after hitting his first two home runs in the majors was much more satisfying - and clean.
Davis hit his 25th homer, a two-run shot in the ninth inning that lifted the A’s to a 5-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday night.
“He deserved it,” Davis said after watching Chapman get doused. “There’s many more to come where he’s going. That won’t be the first or the last.”
Both of Chapman’s home runs came off Cleveland starter Corey Kluber, who struck out 12 and was otherwise dominant over 7 1/3 innings. Oakland’s rookie third baseman homered in the third, doubled and scored in the fifth then homered again leading off the eighth.
“I threw two balls right down the middle and he took advantage of it, not really any secret to it,” Kluber said. “You put two balls on a tee like that to major league hitters and usually they’re going to take advantage of it.”
Rajai Davis added an RBI single for the A’s, who have won two straight over the AL Central-leading Indians since the All-Star break.
Cleveland All-Star reliever Andrew Miller (3-3) walked Yonder Alonso to begin the ninth. After Bryan Shaw was brought in to replace Miller, Davis worked a full count then fouled off a pitch before lining a two-run home run over the wall in right center.
It is the A’s seventh walk-off win of the season and the second game-ending hit this year by Davis.
“I didn’t think it was going out,” Davis said. “I was happy that it was in the gap and Yonder might have had a chance to score. It was just putting our team in a good position to win the ballgame and it just snuck over.”
Ryan Madson (2-4) retired three batters for the win.
Edwin Encarnacion hit his 19th home run and scored twice for the Indians while Carlos Santana drove in a run and inched closer to Carlos Baerga for second place on the club’s all-time RBI list for switch-hitters.
One day after being shut out on four hits, the Indians managed only five off A’s rookie starter Paul Blackburn and three relievers.
Encarnacion homered in the fourth, a towering two-run blast to left, in the fourth.
After the A’s tied it on Rajai Davis’ RBI single in the fifth, Encarnacion walked and scored on Santana’s groundout to put the Indians back in front. Santana has 556 RBIs and needs 10 more to pass Baerga. Omar Vizquel (584) holds the club record for a switch-hitter.
Chapman homered in the third and eighth.
REACHING DOUBLE DIGITS
Kluber allowed three runs and the 12 strikeouts were the eighth time this season that he’s reached double digits. That’s third-most in the majors. It was also the 32nd time in his career that the right-hander has fanned 10 or more.
RICKEY’S DAY
Former A’s great and Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson was honored during a pre-game ceremony as part of Rickey Henderson Day. Players from both teams, along with thousands of fans wearing white Henderson jerseys, stood and applauded as the all-time steals leader strolled to the mound and threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The field at the Coliseum was renamed in Henderson’s honor earlier this year.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: RHP Danny Salazar will make a rehab start with Triple-A Columbus on Sunday in his latest step back from shoulder soreness. Salazar, who has been sidelined since June 4, was 3-5 with a 5.40 ERA before going out.
Athletics: Kendall Graveman emerged from his bullpen session fine and is expected to begin a rehab assignment next week. The right-hander has been out with a strained pitching shoulder since May 26. … INF/OF Chad Pinder (left hamstring strain) ran for the first time since getting hurt.
UP NEXT
LHP Sean Manaea (7-5, 3.76 ERA) starts for the Athletics in the series finale Sunday afternoon and is holding opposing left-handed hitters to a .164 average, lowest in the majors among pitchers with 80 innings or more. RHP Trevor Bauer (7-7, 5.24 ERA) pitches for the Indians.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.