OAKLAND, Calif. – Jose Bautista is drawing walks faster than any player since home run king Barry Bonds. The Toronto slugger just isn't getting enough steady production behind him.
Baseball's leader in nearly every offensive category better expect more of the same.
Bautista singled and walked three times to set a Blue Jays season record but was stranded each time in Toronto's 2-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.
"I take pride in going up to the plate trying to hit balls hard but at the same time I'm trying to swing at strikes, not balls," Bautista said after running his walks total to a major league-leading 102. "A lot of guys are going to try to come after me no matter what but there are times when I know when they're trying to walk me. I don't think that was the case today."
The walks didn't seem to hurt Oakland pitcher Rich Harden much.
Harden matched his career high with 11 strikeouts, didn't allow a hit until the fifth and combined with closer Andrew Bailey to hand Toronto its fifth shutout of the season.
Bautista walked in the first and third innings, singled in the sixth then walked again in the eighth. He reached 100 free passes in his 113th game, fewest ever by a Blue Jay.
The last major leaguer to reach 100 walks in 115 games or fewer was Bonds in 2007, the San Francisco slugger broke Hank Aaron's career home run record.
"In the past, people attacked the zone more against me because they had more ways to get me out," Bautista said. "Now it seems like sometimes they're nibbling to get ahead with bad pitches and they're falling behind."
Josh Willingham hit a two-run homer to provide all the offense for Oakland, which received a stellar outing from Harden who pitched his way out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the first.
Harden quickly recovered from a shaky start and Willingham's drive in the first off Brett Cecil (4-6) held up as the A's bounced back a day after being shut out 7-0 in the series opener. They won for just the third time in eight games.
Toronto had homered in 12 consecutive games.
J.P. Arencibia singled to left with one out in the fifth for the first hit off Harden (4-2), who recorded his 11th career 10-strikeout game and first since Sept. 5, 2009, at the New York Mets.
"We created a tremendous opportunity for ourselves (in the first)," Toronto manager John Farrell said. "Other than that we didn't create a whole lot. You can take (Harden's) year-long stats and the record and set that aside. When he's on he's as good as anybody we'll face."
Harden won consecutive decisions for the first time this season, and both came against the Blue Jays. He pitched seven strong innings at Toronto on Aug. 9.
Harden struck out 11 for the fourth time. He last did it on July 31, 2009, at Florida while with the Cubs. Oakland (56-69) avoided falling to a season-worst 15 games below .500, where the club was Monday. The A's are 3-5 on this 10-game homestand.
Willingham hit his 21st homer with two outs in the first and it was all Harden needed. Willingham's 71 RBIs match the A's season high from last season done by Kevin Kouzmanoff and Kurt Suzuki.
Harden allowed two hits in seven innings and walked four in an impressive 115-pitch outing.
Grant Balfour pitched the eighth and Bailey finished the three-hitter for his 16th save.
Cecil, who lost to Harden and the A's in that Aug. 9 matchup but also won at Oakland on May 10 for his first major league victory, had his winless stretch reach four starts after three straight winning decisions.
Oakland tied the season series at 4-4 and is trying to avoid losing a fourth straight season series with the Blue Jays.
NOTES: Carlos Delgado reached 100 walks in 130 games in 2000 for Toronto. ... Jays callup RHP Joel Carreno slept in a Washington, D.C., airport Thursday after his flight was canceled. He didn't want to risk not getting to Oakland and the big leagues. He was promoted from Double-A New Hampshire on Thursday. ... Toronto LHP Brian Tallet, who strained a chest muscle by sneezing, pitched for Class-A Dunedin on Thursday and came out of it fine. Farrell expects him to go again Sunday in the minors. "He had a very clean inning, 11 pitches," Farrell said. "He's healthy." ... A's LHP Gio Gonzalez (9-11) tries to snap a career-worst 0-5 streak over his last five starts. He is 1-6 with a 6.29 ERA since the All-Star break. ... Toronto RHP Henderson Alvarez goes Saturday for the Blue Jays looking for his first win in his third start. He made his major league debut against the A's.
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