After manager Bob Melvin came to the mound with one out in the seventh inning to pull Sonny Gray on Wednesday afternoon, most of the 17,019 fans at the Coliseum gave the A’s right-hander a standing ovation as he headed to the dugout.
They also gave him something of a trip back in time to his rookie season.
“It took me back to 2013 and those two playoff games (against Detroit). It was really nice,” Gray said after Oakland salvaged the finale of a three-game series with a 7-2 victory over Tampa Bay.