Butler joins elite company with 2nd 3-HR game of season

CINCINNATI -- Lawrence Butler and JJ Bleday did everything in their power to help the A’s secure their first road series sweep of the season.

And thanks to Butler’s third homer that tied the game in the ninth and Seth Brown’s two-run tiebreaking single that followed, the A’s were in position to accomplish the goal in dramatic fashion on Thursday at Great American Ball Park.

Butler recorded his second three-homer game of the season (July 14 at Philadelphia) and finished with five home runs in the three-game set. He’s only the second A’s player with a pair of three-homer games in a season, joining Gerónimo Berroa, who did it in 1996. Butler is the 25th player to accomplish the feat -- the first since Yankees slugger Aaron Judge did so last season -- and only the third player age 24 or younger to do it, joining Mookie Betts (2016) and Ralph Kiner (1947).

Bleday had his first career five-hit game, going 5-for-5 with a home run, and turned in one of Oakland’s best defensive plays of the season. It was Oakland’s first 5-for-5 effort since Jace Peterson’s highlight game on June 6, 2023, that featured two home runs.

Butler’s drive over the wall in right came off Reds closer Alexis Díaz and tied the game, 7-7, but the Reds scored three in the bottom of the ninth, capped by TJ Friedl’s walk-off two-run single off Grant Holman, who did not retire a batter, and the A’s fell, 10-9.

“We did a lot of good things in that game, offensively and defensively,” Butler said. “Our pitchers [gave up] just a couple walks, but I mean, we backed them up. We always have their backs. We never got out of the game.

“We didn’t pull it out. We didn’t get the sweep. But it’s just one of those things where it's one of those games you're still gonna remember for the rest of your career. It was a fun one. We fought really hard, played really good baseball, just tough to sweep the really good ballclub on the other side.”

The game was essentially a carbon copy of Wednesday, when the A’s blew a 5-0 lead, only to rally late for a 9-6 win. Thursday, Oakland was up, 6-1, before the Reds rallied for a 7-6 lead. The A’s came back with a three-run ninth but this time, the bullpen couldn’t hold on.

“We did the same thing offensively [as Wednesday],” manager Mark Kotsay said. “You score nine runs, you expect to win those ballgames. I think just the true lesson is that we have the ability to come back. We can still win baseball games, win trailing. And, you know, for us, the biggest lesson takeaway from this game is just the walks and the free bases killed us."

Bleday added a solo shot -- his 19th -- to go along with a dazzling, diving double play catch in center that will be on the short list of defensive plays of the year.

Bleday’s catch off a sinking Jonathan India liner to right-center and his throw to double up Santiago Espinal at third ended Cincinnati’s three-run sixth that gave it a 7-6 lead.

“I was just anticipating something in the gap, and I feel comfortable going to that side when I'm playing in the outfield,” Bleday said. “It was one of those where I'm like, ‘I'm going to take a chance and dive for this,’ and was able to come up with it. And then I just reacted to it and threw it to third.”

But in the end, Oakland’s four homers and spectacular defense weren't enough to overcome another bullpen meltdown in the Midwest heatwave.

Oakland belted four homers Thursday and 11 for the series in total. J.T. Ginn toughed out five innings, allowing four runs and four hits in his first career Major League start.