Blue Jays 5, Athletics 2
OAKLAND, Calif. -- R.A. Dickey won a battle of replacement starting pitchers over Drew Pomeranz on Thursday afternoon, throwing 8 1/3 innings of five-hit, two-run ball in the Toronto Blue Jays' 5-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
Pomeranz was summoned out of the bullpen when, just a few hours before game time, Oakland dealt its scheduled starter, left-hander Scott Kazmir, to the Houston Astros for minor-league right-hander Daniel Mengden and catcher Jacob Nottingham.
Dickey, meanwhile, was pushed up a day in the rotation when Toronto's listed starter, right-hander Drew Hutchison, couldn't go because of an illness.
The knuckleballer showed no ill effects of the schedule change, overcoming two early runs to nearly go the distance for the second time this season.
Dickey (4-10) allowed only one hit after Oakland's two-run third inning and was two outs from his second complete game of the season before hitting designated hitter Billy Butler with a pitch.
Dickey allowed just one walk and struck out six.
Right-hander Bo Schultz needed just two pitches to record his first save. He got first baseman Ike Davis, the hero of Oakland's 10-inning win Wednesday, to ground into a game-ending double play.
Catcher Russell Martin smacked a two-run home run in the second inning and third baseman Josh Donaldson added a solo shot in the fifth for the Blue Jays (49-48), who won two of three in the series.
Toronto has now hit at least one homer in six straight games.
Martin also doubled and scored in the fourth inning and had a sacrifice fly in the sixth. He finished with two hits, two runs scored and three RBIs. His homer, which scored left fielder Danny Valencia ahead of him, was his 14th of the season.
Donaldson's homer, his 23rd, capped a homecoming trip to Oakland in which he totaled five hits.
Pomeranz didn't get out of the second inning, having thrown 44 pitches to the first eight batters he faced. He allowed two runs on two hits and walked one while striking out four.
Right-hander Dan Otero (2-4) took the loss after allowing three hits and two runs in three innings following Pomeranz. He gave up an RBI double to designated hitter Chris Colabello in the fourth inning and Donaldson's homer in the fifth.
Center fielder Billy Burns had two hits, including a double, for the A's (44-53), who were outhit 8-5 and completed a 3-3 homestand.
Burns had an RBI single that scored shortstop Marcus Semien, who had doubled, and Burns later came home on an infield out by right fielder Josh Reddick in Oakland's two-run third inning.
NOTES: RHP Daniel Mengden and C Jacob Nottingham, acquired by the A's in the trade that sent LHP Scott Kazmir to Houston, are expected to join Class A Stockton (Calif.) before the weekend. Mengden, the Astros' fourth-round draft pick in 2014, was 6-2 with a 3.46 ERA at Class A Quad Cities (eight games) and Lancaster (10 games) this season. Nottingham, a sixth-round pick in 2013, hit .326 (Quad Cities, 59 games) and .324 (Lancaster, 17 games) with a total of 14 home runs this season. ... The A's promoted RHP Arnold Leon from Triple-A Nashville to take Kazmir's spot on the major-league roster. ... Oakland likely will recall RHP Chris Bassitt from Nashville to start Saturday against the San Francisco Giants. ... Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said RHP Drew Hutchison, scratched from Thursday's start because of an illness, was feeling better and tentatively slotted to pitch Friday's series opener in Seattle. Hutchison also could be held back until Saturday, with RHP Marco Estrada moved up to Friday.