OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Khris Davis hardly counted the number of days between his home runs. Wins matter so much more to him.
Still, the one he hit Tuesday night sure was timely to tie the game in the eighth before Matt Olson homered with one out in the 10th inning off Josh Hader, sending the Oakland Athletics past the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 on Tuesday night for their third straight win.
Blake Treinen (5-3) pitched a 1-2-3 10th with two strikeouts, including slugger Christian Yelich on a big swing for the third out.
Olson sent the first pitch from Hader (1-4) to deep center for his second career walkoff homer and No. 22 on the year.
Eric Thames hit a tying homer with one out in the ninth after Davis put the A’s ahead in the bottom of the eighth with a drive to left.
Davis, baseball’s 2018 home run leader, connected on the first pitch from Freddy Peralta to snap a 29-game homerless streak since his last on June 18 against Baltimore. He had his first three-hit game since May 17 at Detroit.
“I’m not really concerned about the streak,” Davis said. “I’m glad we’re winning tight ballgames. … I don’t always have to hit home runs.”
Yasmani Grandal hit a tying single in the eighth for the Brewers before Thames snapped an 0-for-17 funk with the first home run off Liam Hendriks since April 16 against Houston.
“Homers in the ninth are not going to happen against closers very often. We’re making it too easy on these starting pitchers,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said.
Olson hit an RBI double in the third for the A’s, who blew their 22nd save opportunity.
Orlando Arcia had his first three-hit game since May 6 for Milwaukee.
A’s starter Chris Bassitt retired Yelich on a called third strike with one out in the sixth and runners on first and second. Bassitt pitched six scoreless innings, striking out six and allowing three hits.
Yelich’s eighth-inning single gave him a 17-game hitting streak and put the tying run on third. Hendriks relieved Ryan Buchter and allowed Grandal’s single before surrendering Thames’ shot.
New Oakland left-hander Jake Diekman made his A’s debut in the seventh after being acquired from Kansas City on Saturday. He allowed just a walk.
Milwaukee, playing in Oakland for the first time since a two-game split June 21-22, 2016, is 68-111 all-time at the Coliseum.
MANAGING PALS
Bob Melvin and Counsell made time for a nice chat on the field before the Brewers took batting practice. Melvin managed Counsell for two seasons from 2005-06 with Arizona — that after Melvin had been bench coach with the D-backs during Counsell’s first stint in 2001-02.
Counsell had his moments when he disagreed with Melvin’s decisions, and let him know it. That didn’t always go over very well. Counsell still reaches out to Melvin for ideas and advice.
“I played for Bob for a couple years, they were some of my favorite years playing for a manager. I bounce things off him a lot, I call him frequently to ask his opinion on things … it’s always an answer that gives me some guidance or confirms that I’m kind of in the right place,” Counsell said. “It’s helpful to have somebody like that.”
Counsell acknowledges “we would have some arguments about his decisions but I learned a lot from them,” even though they’d yell at each other from time to time.
Melvin seems to be over it.
“He’s one of the best managers in the game in my opinion,” Melvin said. “Prepared for everything and they do things creatively and he’s got a great rapport with his players.”
LYLES ON WAY
Right-hander Jordan Lyles was en route to the Bay Area to re-join the Brewers and start Wednesday after being traded to Milwaukee from the Pirates on Monday to boost an injury-plagued rotation.
Lyles was a reliever for the NL Central champion Brewers late last year, going 1-0 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 appearances. He had a 9.58 ERA in eight starts since the end of May, leaving him 5-7 overall with a 5.36 ERA.
“It’s a familiar face. Look, he’s had some success this year,” Counsell said. “The last couple starts have not been good, he’s having a little rough go this last stretch here. It’s not going to be a major overhaul by any means.”
MOMENT OF SILENCE
The teams held a moment of silence before the national anthem to honor the victims of a shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, where three people were killed Sunday. Proceeds from garlic fries and garlic burgers were to be used to support those affected.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: LHP Gio Gonzalez, with the A’s to start his career from 2008-11, played catch and the Brewers will decide by Wednesday whether he needs a stint on the injured list after he left his start last Friday against the Cubs with tightness in his pitching shoulder.
Athletics: CF Ramon Laureano will go on the injured list with a stress reaction in his right shin that has bothered him off and on. “It’s obviously a concern that he’s not in the lineup again today,” Melvin said. … LHP Sean Manaea struck out eight and walked one with three runs — two earned — and three hits over six innings for Triple-A Las Vegas. He is likely to have one more rehab outing of about 90 pitches before being activated for the first time since having shoulder surgery last September. “Hopefully good to go after that,” Melvin said. … RHP Marco Estrada (back strain) WAS set to pitch two innings for Class-A Stockton. … RF Stephen Piscotty, sidelined since June 29 with a sprained right knee, began a three-day stretch continuing his rehab assignment with Las Vegas. He was 2 for 4 with an RBI as RF and will have at least one day as designated hitter.
UP NEXT
Lyles will pitch opposite A’s LHP Brett Anderson (9-6, 4.05).