A’s fielding woes prove costly in loss to Toronto Blue Jays

The A’s couldn’t overcome some costly defensive miscues Sunday in the final game of their season-opening 10-game road trip.

Two A’s errors, including a critical one in the fifth inning, led to two unearned runs for the Toronto Blue Jays, who closed out the three-game series at Rogers Centre with a 4-3 win.

With the A’s down 3-2, shortstop Kevin Smith’s throwing error to first base on a Matt Chapman grounder allowed Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to score from first base for a Toronto insurance run for Toronto.

The A’s got a run back in the top of the eighth as Seth Brown’s sacrifice fly scored Sean Murphy from second base. But the A’s could not get pull even as they closed out the road trip with a 5-5 record.

The A’s have made eight errors in 10 games this season.

Catcher Stephen Vogt hit his first home run of the season and Sean Murphy’s sacrifice fly to center field scored Cristian Pache from third base for two A’s runs in the fifth inning. But the A’s were otherwise held in check by Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah, who allowed four hits and had six strikeouts over six innings.

The A’s now return to Oakland and will play 13 of their next 15 games at the Coliseum, starting with Monday’s Opening Night game with the Baltimore Orioles.

Adam Oller’s second Major League start lasted longer than his first for the A’s, but not by much.

Oller struggled with his command and labored through 3⅓ innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs.

The Jays scored two runs in the first two innings Sunday as Oller, too, didn’t get a ton of help from his defense.

Third baseman Sheldon Neuse in the first inning misplayed a ground ball hit right at him by George Springer, who later scored on a sacrifice fly by Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

In the second, right fielder Seth Brown ran and dove but was unable to catch a ball hit by Zack Collins, who then scored from second on a Santiago Espinal single.

Oller, 27, lasted just 1.1 innings in his Major League debut last Tuesday against Tampa Bay. He allowed five hits, including two home runs, and five earned runs, and had three strikeouts to go with three walks.

Against the Jays, Oller threw just 44 of his 75 pitches for strikes and was replaced by Ryan Castellani with one out in the fourth inning after he walked Cavan Biggio.