Abraham Toro had a two-run single to cap a six-run sixth inning on Sunday, helping the host Oakland Athletics overcome a five-run deficit in a 7-6 victory over the Washington Nationals.
Oakland’s Lawrence Butler had an RBI single and joined JJ Bleday with three hits.
Tyler Nevin and Shea Langeliers each had an RBI single and Darell Hernaiz walked with the bases loaded for the Athletics, who won the three-game interleague series. Oakland has won six of its last eight games after losing seven of its first eight to start the season.
Washington’s Lane Thomas belted a solo homer and had two RBI singles on Sunday. He had been mired in a 1-for-17 rut with five strikeouts in his previous four games.
Joey Meneses drove in a pair of runs and Jacob Young had an RBI double for the Nationals, who have lost three of their last four games.
Thomas’ RBI single in the top of the sixth extended Washington’s lead to 6-1 before things unraveled for starter Trevor Williams and the Nationals in the bottom of the inning.
Williams exited with runners on second and third and reliever Derek Law (0-1) allowed two-out RBI singles to Nevin and Butler and uncorked a run-scoring wild pitch. He was relieved by Jordan Weems, who walked Hernaiz with the bases loaded before Toro blooped a two-run single to left field.
The offensive uprising allowed Mitch Spence (1-1) to record his first major-league win. Spence relieved starter Alex Wood and allowed two runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Two more relievers bridged the gap to Mason Miller, who struck out the side in the ninth inning for his third save of the season.
Washington claimed a 2-0 lead in the third inning on Meneses’ groundout and Thomas’ RBI single to left field.
Young added an RBI in the fourth before Thomas capped a nine-pitch at-bat in the fifth by depositing a sinker from Wood over the wall in left-center field to give the Nationals a 4-0 advantage.
Langeliers’ RBI single in the fifth was answered by Meneses’ run-scoring single in the sixth. Meneses then advanced to third on Jesse Winker’s single and came home on Thomas’ RBI single to left field.
