Al Albuquerque, who has a couple of A's leading off his own name, ticked off some A's last night, of the Oakland variety, when he fielded a two out come-backer to the mound, by kissing the baseball before throwing it to first.  It contained the A's who lost it in the bottom of that inning to the Detroit Tigers, who have three chances to close out the series with one more win.  Here's the story of the Kiss heard 'round the Bay area.

 

DETROIT — At least one member of the A's didn't like "The Kiss" one bit. A few more said they hope they can eventually deliver a return smack to Detroit Tigers reliever Al Albuquerque when the American League Division Series returns to Oakland.

With the score tied 4-4 in the top of the ninth, Oakland had runners at first and third with two out when Yoenis Cespedes came to the plate against Albuquerque with a chance to drive in a go-ahead run.

But on a 1-1 pitch, Cespedes hit a sharp comebacker to the mound that Albuquerque snared just to the right of the mound. Since he had plenty of time, he brought the ball up to his lips and kissed it before making an underhand toss to first baseman Prince Fielder to end the Oakland threat.

It was a huge out for the Tigers, but Josh Reddick didn't like the embellishment that went with it.

"I didn't appreciate it," Reddick said. "I think that it was immature and not very professional."

Reddick was asked if he thought the right-hander was showing up the A's by making the gesture and he wasn't hesitant to respond.

"It's exactly what he was doing," he said. "I don't think anybody from one day of experience in the big leagues to 15 years experience in the big leagues should do that. Everybody knows this is a professional game and you have to keep that stuff to yourself. Maybe you can do it in the dugout when nobody's looking, but you have to keep that stuff out of the game."

Albuquerque maintained he was simply so overjoyed to get the final out against Oakland's dangerous No. 3 hitter.

"I just did it," he said. "It was the emotion of the game. I wasn't trying to be a hot dog."

The right-hander also gave his teammates something else to savor in the wake of their 5-4 victory.

"We were cracking up in the dugout," said pitcher Max Scherzer said. "We were like, 'Did he really just kiss the ball?' ... Alburquerque does some crazy things on the mound."

Many of the A's players maintained they didn't see the kiss, nor did manager Bob Melvin. Since he hit the ball, Cespedes obviously did, but when asked about it through interpreter Ariel Prieto, he took a lighter view.

"It's OK, it's nothing," Cespedes said. "When we get back in Oakland, I hit the ball hard against him or whatever, and I can kiss my bat."

Closer Grant Balfour said he would only kiss the ball in the optimum circumstance.

"If I won the World Series I might kiss it, but other than that ... ," Balfour said.

Noted prospect Game 3 starter Brett Anderson, "I've never seen that before. It had a little flair to it. To each his own, I guess."

http://www.mercurynews.com/athletics/ci_21721086/gesture-by-detroit...

A link to the video is here.

 

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