It took 81 games, but Elvis Andrus finally has a home run in green and gold, and it couldn't have come at a better time for the Athletics.
With the A's trailing 2-1 to the Boston Red Sox at the Coliseum on Friday night, Andrus led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a game-tying homer off closer Matt Barnes.
Andrus' first homer of the season traveled 422 feet to dead center field, sending the 32,304 fans in attendance into a frenzy.
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The veteran shortstop provided the fireworks before the A's set off actual fireworks after the game.
Andrus' homer forced extra innings, but the Red Sox came out on top with a 3-2 win in 10 innings.
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Oakland Athletics
Andrus' numbers steadily have been ticking up each month this season, going from a .151 average in April to .256 in May to .278 in June. And he started July with a bang.
On the day former A's shortstop Marcus Semien hit his 21st homer of the season, Andrus hit his first of the year and it temporarily saved the A's from a tough home loss.