Rookie pitcher A.J. Griffin (imagine that, the A's starting a rookie pitcher) threw a solid game, but not as good as Detroit Tigers starter Max Scherzer, and through eight innings it looked the Athletics' surprising run was about to come to an end.
That was until the A's resurrected the magic that they had so many times this season — winning on yet another walk-off victory at home on Wednesday, this time to keep their season alive and tie the ALDS series with the Tigers at 2-2 with the decisive Game 5 coming up tonight.
Jose Valverde, the Tigers' boisterous closer whose bits and schtick are as annoying as they come, was battered in the bottom of the ninth as he surrendered a three-run ninth inning that was capped by a Coco Crisp RBI single that sent the 30,000-strong Oakland fans into a frenzy.
The A's won on what ended up being their unbelievable 15th walk-off win of the season.
"Walking up to the plate, I kind of got emotional and had to calm myself down," Crisp told reporters after the game. "I was like, 'Here's the moment that you've been psyching yourself up for.' I got overly emotional and had to dial it back and refocus on the task at hand."
It didn't take him long to refocus though, as he sent Valverde's first pitch past a diving first baseman to continue Oakland's unbelievable run that started when they chased down the Rangers to win the AL West crown on the season's final day.
