Andrus’ late-game heroics fit perfectly with tenacious A’s originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
For the sixth time this season, the Athletics celebrated a win with a Gatorade shower.
In the A’s 4-3 walk-off win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night at the Coliseum, it was an Elvis Andrus’ RBI single in the bottom of the ninth that set off the party.
Andrus’ heroics came just a couple of nights after A’s center fielder Mark Canha dubbed the A’s a resilient team that finds ways to win.
“That’s one of the reasons why I loved joining the Oakland A’s,” Andrus said.
Andrus has left much to be desired at the plate through the first two months of the season, but he has been collecting hits here and there lately. The walk-off hit was exactly what he needed, and it added to the tenacity of the team. The A’s blowing a three-run lead didn’t hurt the matter, either.
“They never give up,” Andrus said. “It’s a team that plays until the last out. I love that. They’re a winning team for a reason and me being part of this team, they just motivate me to do what I did tonight.”
It’s a scenario A’s manager Bob Melvin is very familiar with.
“It’s kind of who we are here at home,” Melvin said. “Over the last few years, really for quite a while now, when we have a chance to win late in games, we have a great feeling we’re going to and a lot of times it’s your attitude and the expectation that rules the day. Once Lou [Trivino] gets out of that it’s like, ‘OK, this is our time.’ ”
Andrus’ situation was similar. He made an error in the seventh inning that led to a Royals run, but the miscue was all but forgotten thanks to his big hit at the end.
“For sure,” Andrus said. “I think as a player that’s what you’re always looking for. When you make an error in that situation, I always want the redemption, and not too often you get the opportunity you get the redemption, so as soon as I got the opportunity — I been kind of the last two or three innings praying for the opportunity to get the situation.”
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Andrus wasn’t sure how it was going to happen, but he was going to redeem himself.
That’s exactly what he did.