Fri Apr 11 00:09:33 2008

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Buck lifts A's over Jays in 12 innings

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Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Travis Buck drove in all three Oakland runs, including the game-winning, two-RBI double in the 12th inning, as the Athletics continued to thrive in international territory and outlasted the Toronto Blue Jays, 3-2, to complete a three-game sweep at Rogers Centre.

Alex Rios and Vernon Wells both posted two hits for the Blue Jays, who swept Boston prior to this series but have now lost three straight.

Chris Denorfia led off the top of the 12th with a base hit to center, and was advanced to second after Bobby Crosby's ground out to third. With first base open, Toronto reliever Brandon League (0-1) intentionally walked Jack Hannahan, but then loaded the bases when he plunked Kurt Suzuki.

After Denorfia was out at the plate on an Emil Brown fielder's choice, Buck smacked a double to center, scoring Hannahan and Suzuki. The A's stranded an insurance run at third when Jesse Carlson replaced League on the mound and fanned Daric Barton, but still emerged with a 3-1 advantage.

The Blue Jays threatened in the home half of the 12th, but after Wells knocked in Rios with a single to center and Frank Thomas drew a four-pitch walk, Oakland reliever Keith Foulke induced a 6-4-3 double play to seal the victory.

Foulke notched his first save of the young season.

The contest was low scoring throughout and the visitors grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fifth on Buck's RBI double that plated Ryan Sweeney, who had singled with two outs.

Toronto, though, tied the score with a run in the home eighth. With Alan Embree on the hill, Marco Scutaro ripped a leadoff triple and scored on a one- out fly ball off the bat of Shannon Stewart.

Joey Devine (1-0), who was recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day to earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief.

Game Notes

Dana Eveland started for Oakland and tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts and three walks...Shaun Marcum tossed seven innings of one-run, six-hit ball with eight Ks...The contest took 3 hours, 54 minutes to complete...Earlier Thursday, the Athletics placed pitcher Rich Harden on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained right shoulder. The move is retroactive to April 3 and marks Harden's sixth trip to the DL in the last four years. He was sidelined with a similar injury for most of the 2007 campaign, appearing in only seven games. The oft-injured righty also had two stints on the DL last season, two in 2006 and one in 2005.