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For the second straight night, the Oakland Athletics stunned the Toronto Blue Jays by staging a ninth-inning rally off closer Jeremy Accardo. 

Accardo was shelled for four runs on one hit and one walk as the Athletics beat the Blue Jays 6-3 at the Rogers Centre on Wednesday night.

Athletics catcher Kurt Suzuki, right, welcomes Emil Brown and Chris Denorfia at home plate in Wednesday's 6-3 triumph over the hometown Blue Jays.
(Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

The normally reliable reliever retired just one batter before being replaced by Brian Wolfe.  

Accardo (0-2) was nicked for the winning run in Tuesday's 9-8 setback, surrendering a single to Kurt Suzuki and a triple to Ryan Sweeney with two out in the ninth.

"You are not going to do that a lot, beat closers," Athletics manager Bob Geren said. "When you do, it is special."

Accardo entered Wednesday's showdown with Toronto leading 3-2, but he hit Travis Buck with a pitch and permitted a run-scoring triple to Mark Ellis.

Accardo struck out Daric Barton and walked Jack Cust intentionally to set up a double play, but Ellis scored when third baseman Marco Scutaro threw wildly to home plate on Emil Brown's grounder.

Wolfe relieved Accardo and promptly uncorked a wild pitch that moved both runners into scoring position.

After Cust was lifted in favour of pinch-runner Chris Denorfia, Bobby Crosby completed the comeback with a two-run double. 

"It felt good to come through in that last inning and get a win," Ellis said.

"We have got a team that has a lot of talent," Crosby said. "We have been saying it all spring."

Crosby had three hits and three runs batted in, while Ellis went 4-for-5 with an RBI and two stolen bases for the Athletics (5-4).

Barton, Sweeney, Suzuki and Jack Hannahan drove in Oakland's other runs.

Rookie reliever Fernando Hernandez (1-0) was credited with the win, hurling a scoreless eighth inning in his major-league debut.

Huston Street recorded the final three outs for his second save in as many nights.

"We were very happy with the outcome tonight," Geren said.

Shaky start for Smith

Toronto struck for three runs in the first inning off Oakland starter Greg Smith, who was making his major-league debut.

David Eckstein was plunked by Smith's second pitch, took second on a walk to Shannon Stewart and scored on an RBI single from Vernon Wells.

Frank Thomas walked to load the bases for Aaron Hill, who delivered Stewart with a sacrifice fly to centre field.

When Barton casually cut off Sweeney's relay, Wells alertly scampered home to make it 3-0.

Smith pitched six innings, giving up two hits and five walks with five strikeouts.

"You have just got to get your bearings," he said. "After that, you get into the flow of the game.

"Once you get your bearings, it is all the same. It just becomes baseball, the natural thing you have always done."

Dustin McGowan lasted five innings for the Blue Jays (4-4), allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.

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