Jeff McNeil legs out winning single in 9th inning, lifts A's to 6-5 victory over Blue Jays

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Jeff McNeil legged out an infield single to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Athletics beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 on Monday night after blowing a four-run lead.

Andrés Giménez hit a tying solo homer in the ninth for the Blue Jays (72-73), who remained a game behind Cleveland for the last American League wild card. Alejandro Kirk and Kazuma Okamoto also went deep, but Toronto ace Dylan Cease gave up five runs — four earned — in five innings.

Henry Bolte homered and scored three times from the leadoff spot for the A’s, who have won five of six following a five-game losing streak. The rookie drew three walks and stole three bases.

Zack Gelof also homered and knocked in a pair of runs for the Athletics. He swiped two bases and scored twice.

Max Muncy reached on an infield single to start the bottom of the ninth before Louis Varland (5-5) walked Donovan Walton and Bolte to load the bases with two outs. McNeil hit a slow roller to shortstop and beat the throw to first as the winning run scored.

Gelof drove in the first run with a ground-rule double in the first inning. He scored on a throwing error by Okamoto at third base.

Kirk homered to right-center leading off the second.

Carlos Cortes had an RBI single for the A's in a two-run third and Bolte smashed his ninth homer over the right-field wall to make it 5-1 in the fifth.

Okamoto hit his 29th home run off starter Jacob Lopez in the seventh. Toronto scored twice more in the inning on an RBI double by Giménez and a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Josh Smith.

Giménez went deep against Hogan Harris (4-2) with one out in the ninth to tie it 5-all.

Blue Jays RHP José Soriano (11-7, 3.52 ERA) pitches Tuesday against RHP Jack Perkins (3-10, 6.50) in the second game of the series.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez can't make the throw in time as the Athletics walk off the Toronto Blue Jays ina baseball game Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Athletics' Henry Bolte jogs around the bases after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Athletics' Jeff McNeil (22) celebrates with his teammates after hitting a walk off RBI single during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Athletics' Jeff McNeil, middle, is mobbed by his teammates after hitting a walk off RBI single during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Athletics' Jeff McNeil hits a walk off RBI single during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a walk in his return to the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup Monday night after a four-day break to deal with lingering left knee and right biceps soreness. The two-way superstar isn't expected to pitch again this season.

He was in his usual leadoff spot as the designated hitter for the series opener against the Cincinnati Reds, a 6-3 win by the Dodgers.

“I'll be focusing on hitting,” Ohtani said through a translator after the game. “I'm confident that my overall performance should be better moving forward. The thing that I was more focused on was to make sure that the pitching wouldn’t cause the worse scenario, which was for me to not be able to play at all.”

Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a game since July 3 and hasn’t thrown since a bullpen session in Detroit on Aug. 28.

Speaking to the media for the first time in three weeks, Ohtani said he's disappointed not to be pitching.

“But I want to make sure that when I look back this season that I use this as a learning experience and use that as something to improve upon for next season,” he said.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he would see how Ohtani felt after the game before deciding on his status for Tuesday.

“It was certainly good to get him back out there, but there was certainly nothing to kind of write home about,” Roberts said. “To take four days off, to come out of it feeling good, I think that’s a win in itself.”

The NL West-leading Dodgers won all four games during Ohtani’s absence, including a sweep of the Washington Nationals.

By taking pitching off Ohtani's plate, the Dodgers hope the four-time MVP will lock in on hitting and get back on track after not appearing to be himself at the plate.

“As long as I’m playing in games, it’s not exactly the best way to recover and heal,” Ohtani said. "Of course, the best mode of recovery is to completely not play. But right now I just want to make sure that I’m playing, playing well and just focusing on the now.”

Ohtani is hitting .277 with 30 homers and 80 RBIs this season. Since the All-Star break, however, he’s batting .246 with eight homers and 22 RBIs in 42 games.

“Yes, he loves pitching, loves being a two-way player,” Roberts said before the game, “but right now it just doesn’t make any sense. It’s more of what’s best for the team, number one, and 1A, what’s best for him."

Utility player Tommy Edman took Ohtani's place as the leadoff hitter for four games. He went 7 for 17 (.412) with one home run, four RBIs and five runs. Edman started at second base and batted third on Monday.

Asked why he doesn't move Ohtani out of the leadoff spot, Roberts replied: “I think he’s our best hitter. I think the best player should have the most latitude. Is it forever? I don’t know. Is it until the end of the season? I don’t know yet.”

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, walks back to the dugout after striking out as Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson throws the ball back during the third inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani flies out during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches from the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani walks back to the dugout after striking out as during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, center, looks on during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)