OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland Athletics not only entered Thursday's game with the Toronto Blue Jays tied with the Angels for first place in the American League's West Division, but they also possessed a collective .247 batting average, the worst in the Major Leagues.
"I'm aware of that," A's manager Ken Macha said after his team's 5-2 victory over the Jays in front of 19,251 fans at McAfee Coliseum, which vaulted Oakland past idle Los Angeles into sole possession of first. "It doesn't matter right now. We missed a lot of people - Milton (Bradley), (Eric) Chavez (with injuries)...(outfielder Mark) Kotsay didn't have a good first half. Whatever our average is doesn't matter. The guys play this day forward."
With back-to-back wins over first-placed Boston and the Blue Jays, it's hard to argue with Macha's live-in-the-now philosophy, especially in light of the performance he got from his pitching staff.
Starter Joe Blanton improved to 11-8 on the season with seven strong innings and Justin Duchscherer and Huston Street combined for two perfect innings of relief as the A's improved to 53-49, one half-game ahead of the Angels.
Blanton struck out four, gave up two runs and spread out five hits and let his offense do the rest.
"The last time Blanton pitched the Blue Jays, he gave up six runs in the first inning," Macha said. "It was a nice bounce-back by him. This guy's won 11 games already this year. Tonight's game with Toronto was a sample of what he's done the whole season. He had excellent command of his curveball. It was a big lift for us.
"Take a look back on what he's done. He beat the Red Sox in Fenway. He beat the Tigers. Last I checked, those were two pretty good clubs."
Third-place Toronto wasn't bad either, entering Thursday's game only 5 1/2 games behind Boston and four behind the second-place Yankees.
Oakland sent seven batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally from a 2-1 deficit. Designated hitter Frank Thomas led off the frame with a double and Nick Swisher drew a walk from Blue Jays starter Ted Lilly, who gave up a single up the middle to Chavez for a 3-2 A's lead.
A sacrifice fly by second baseman Marco Scutaro scored Chavez for a two-run cushion.
"That was a big hit by Chavey, hitting the ball up the middle," Macha said. "It was a nice sound off his bat. He struck the ball well."
Chavez also extended his errorless streak from third base to 58 games, trailing only Mike Gallego's 59-game streak for the longest by an A's third baseman.
Lilly surrendered a double to Bradley and walked Swisher before being relieved by Brian Tallet with one out in the seventh.
Lilly gave up four earned runs, five hits and walked four in 5 1/3 innings. He also struck out four and hit one batter with a pitch.
Center fielder Jay Payton, who had a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth, gave the A's an insurance run in the seventh, knocking in Bradley with a single up the middle for a 5-2 advantage.
Payton finished 2-for-3, with 2 RBI.
Third baseman Troy Glaus gave the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth, when he hit a double down the third-base line off Blanton to score Reed Johnson.
Blanton gave up a pair of singles to Frank Catanalotto and Vernon Wells to open the fourth and Glaus' fielder's choice scored Catanalotto to give Toronto the early lead.
Wells has hit safely in 12 consecutive games.
Toronto's Tallet and Jeremy Accardo combined for 2 2/3 innings of relief, giving up a combined four hits and one run.
Street earned his 21st save of the season, retiring Vernon Wells, Glaus and former University of Nevada standout Lyle Overbay to end the game.