Norris' first homer produces walk-off win

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For most of the game, it appeared that the affair was going to come down to a close call in the sixth inning. With the score 2-1 in favor of San Francisco at that point, and with runners on first and second and two outs, A's left fielder Seth Smith stepped to the plate with a chance to tie the game or take the lead against Giants starter Matt Cain.
But Oakland starter A.J. Griffin -- another rookie, and Norris' batterymate at Triple-A Sacramento until the catcher was called up Thursday -- was just as impressive as Cain in his Major League debut.
Derek Norris wasn't ready to see his team get swept.
Norris' dramatic capper allowed the A's to steal one from San Francisco after blowing leads in each of the first two games of the series. It was the third straight game, too, that saw Oakland score in the bottom of the ninth. On Sunday cheap red sox jerseys, the team's late-game resilience finally paid off with a victory.
It appeared Smith had gotten the hit to do so when he lined a 3-2 pitch to right field. But as Smith was rounding first justin masterson replica jersey, first-base umpire Todd Tichenor threw his hands up to signal a foul ball. That prompted Smith, too, to throw his hands up, in shock.
"Something I'll never forget," Norris said. "It's a great feeling."
With two outs and a full count on him, Norris' at-bat might've been the most dramatic moment in a weekend full of them during the second Bay Bridge Series this season. He battled with Casilla the whole plate appearance, taking a 3-1 pitch on the corner and foul-tipping the next offering, which Giants catcher Buster Posey couldn't hold on to.
Replays showed that the ball might indeed have been fair, since chalk flew up when it hit the ground, but it was still inconclusive whether or not it actually hit the line.
"Terrific at-bat," added A's manager Bob Melvin. "Just talk about grinding. Two strikes twins baseball jersey, the whole bit. Just a terrific at-bat."
Called up Sunday to replace the injured Brandon McCarthy, Griffin had one key mistake, allowing a two-run homer to Posey in the first frame.

A day after collecting his first Major League hit houston colts jersey, the rookie catcher hit a walk-off, three-run home run off Giants closer Santiago Casilla cheap baseball jersey, sending the A's to a 4-2 win Sunday. It was Norris' first career home run, and it came in just his third game and fourth day with Oakland.
"I knew it was out as soon as he hit it," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "This one they got to walk off."
Casilla then left a fastball over the plate, and Norris hit a no-doubter, becoming the first A's player to have his first home run be a walk-off since George Hendrick on May 28, 1972.
Melvin came out to argue the call in vain, and Smith fouled out to left field a few pitches later to end the inning. In the team's only other real threat, right fielder Josh Reddick grounded to second for an inning-ending double play in the eighth, stranding shortstop Brandon Hicks at third.