Athletics 9, Orioles 8

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics knew they missed slugger Yoenis Cespedes while he was on the 15-day disabled list, nursing a sore left hand.

Cespedes reminded them just how much Sunday in his first game since April 12, leading them to a 9-8 victory in 10 innings over the Baltimore Orioles.

Cespedes crushed a game-tying, two-run homer into the left field seats with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning against Baltimore.

With Derek Norris on first after a leadoff single, Cespedes pulled the A's even at 8-8, hammering reliever Brian Matusz' 1-2 changeup for his fourth home run of the season.

After reliever Jerry Blevins retired the Orioles one-two-three, the A's won it in bizarre fashion in the bottom of the 10th.

Eric Sogard lined a leadoff single off Pedro Strop and moved to second on Adam Rosales sacrifice bunt with Strop throwing wildly to second for an error. Then Coco Crisp bunted, and third baseman Manny Machado threw the ball past shortstop J.J. Hardy into left field for another error.

Sogard raced home to score the winning run.

First baseman Chris Davis had launched a solo home run into the right-field seats off A's reliever Sean Doolittle with one out in the top of the eighth, giving the Orioles a 7-6 lead. The Orioles added another run in the ninth off A's closer Grant Balfour as Nate McLouth doubled and Manny Machado doubled him home.

But the A's rallied to beat the Orioles in the series finale after losing the first three games.

The A's had trailed 6-4 entering the bottom of the seventh. Considering the fact that the Orioles have won 102 straight games when leading after seven innings, the A's needed to catch up in a hurry. That's exactly what they did.

Coco Crisp worked a leadoff walk against left-hander Troy Patton, and Seth Smith crushed a one-out home run to center field, pulling the A's even.

Davis quickly put the Orioles back ahead with his ninth home run of the season.

Orioles' right-hander Miguel Gonzalez blanked the A's for five innings before giving up four runs in the sixth. He allowed seven hits and four runs over 5 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking two.

A's right-hander Bartolo Colon came into the game with a 3-0 record and 2.89 ERA, but he gave up five runs -- four of those in the fourth -- on nine hits over six innings. He struck out three and didn't walk a batter.

The Orioles had just one infield single and no runs off Colon until the top of the fourth, when they scored four times to grab a 4-0 lead. They strung four singles and a double together before Colon could get an out.

McLouth lined a leadoff single to center, Machado singled sharply to right, and Nick Markakis lined a single to right, loading the bases. Jones brought McLouth home with a bloop single to right. Then Davis roped a two-run double off the right-field wall. Matt Wieters made it 4-0 with a sacrifice fly, scoring Jones.

Baltimore increased its lead to 5-0 in the fifth when McLouth hit a one-out single and later scored on Jones' double.

The A's struck for four runs in the sixth.

Rosales and Crisp hit back-to-back doubles off Gonzalez in the sixth, cutting Baltimore's lead to 5-1.

After John Jaso singled Crisp to third, Smith brought him home with a fielder's choice ground ball.

Cespedes singled, Brandon Moss walked, and Donaldson scorched a two-run double down the left-field line, cutting Baltimore's lead to 5-4.

After Gonzalez intentionally walked Chris Young to load the bases, Patton came on to retire Sogard on a fly ball to center field and Rosales on a comebacker, ending the inning.

Then in the top of the seventh, the Orioles got one run back. McLouth singled with two out, stole second and scored on Machado's single to center, increasing Baltimore's lead to 6-4.

NOTES: A's left-hander Brett Anderson will skip his start Monday against the Angels to rest his sore right ankle, which he re-tweaked in his last start Wednesday at Boston, but he won't go on the disabled list, manager Bob Melvin said. ... Right-hander Dan Straily, who re-joined the team Sunday in Oakland from Triple-A Sacramento, will start Monday's game. Straily won't officially be recalled until Monday. At that time, the A's will have to make a corresponding roster move. He's 3-0 with an 0.96 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 18.2 innings with the River Cats. He went 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA with the A's before being optioned to Sacramento on April 6. ... The Orioles placed backup catcher Taylor Teagarden on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, one day after he dislocated his left thumb in the bottom of the sixth inning against the A's. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he'll "have a better idea" how long Teagarden will be out after he's examined by a hand specialist in Florida. The Orioles called up catcher Luis Exposito from Triple-A Norfolk, and he was in uniform for Sunday's game. ... Orioles' left-hander Zach Britton will start Monday's game at Seattle, Showalter said. Britton was recalled Thursday from Norfolk but was not needed in relief during the A's series, making him available to start Monday. ... A's shortstop Jed Lowrie was a late scratch from the lineup because of a strained muscle on the right side of his neck. "He slept on it wrong," Melvin said. "He's having trouble turning his neck to the right." Rosales took his place at shortstop. ... A's outfielder Casper Wells was designated for assignment to make room for Cespedes on the 25-man roster. If the A's don't trade him in the next 10 days and he clears waivers, they'll assign him to Triple-A Sacramento, Melvin said. "If he were to get through, we'd certainly love to have him. We value him."