A's beat Dodgers 6-4 on Laureano's 9th-inning homer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — After going hitless in his first two at-bats, Rámon Laureano singled. Feeling emboldened, he choked up on the bat and broke a ninth-inning tie with a two-run homer.

That gave the Oakland Athletics a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night in a matchup of West division champions. The A's moved within a game of Minnesota in pursuit of the No. 2 seed in the American League playoffs.

“I guess it’s going to keep changing for everybody for these next six games. We’re just trying to win and win and win, and we don’t care who we play,” Laureano said. “We’re just trying to keep competing, get that winning culture going into the postseason.”

Laureano also had an RBI single in the seventh and made a diving catch in center field. He moved his hands much higher on the bat in the ninth.

“I practice choking up every single day,” he said. “I just decided, you know what, just change something and I did. Good things happened and hopefully it carries on.”

Edwin Rios, who replaced Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner in the sixth, homered in his first at-bat in the eighth, tying it 4-all. It was the first run given up in 19 appearances this season by Jake Diekman (1-0), who had a 22-inning scoreless streak that dated to last Sept. 16.

“You almost feel like you’re getting a break with Turner coming out of the game, and Rios has been so good for them,” A's manager Bob Melvin said. “But expecting a home run there is a shock, really.”

Stephen Piscotty singled in the ninth off Blake Treinen (3-3). With two outs, Laureano homered to the lower left-field seats, clocking a cardboard cutout in the face for a 6-4 lead.

Liam Hendriks retired the side in the ninth for his 14th save.

Oakland starter Sean Manaea allowed three...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/A-s-beat-Dodgers-6-4-on-Laureano-s-9th-inning-15593016.php