Eric Surkamp struggles as A's lose 6-3 to Blue Jays

TORONTO - Eric Surkamp turned in another shaky start for the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.

Whether he gets the chance to make another is undecided.

Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer off Surkamp, Ezequiel Carrera added a solo shot and the Blue Jays beat the Athletics 6-3.

“The middle of that order is probably the best in baseball,” Surkamp (0-2) said of the Blue Jays. “Just a tough lineup when you’re not on top of your game.”

Surkamp allowed a season-worst six runs and nine hits in 42/3 innings. The left-hander is winless in four starts.

Manager Bob Melvin would not guarantee the safety of Surkamp’s spot in the rotation.

“We look at things after every series,” Melvin said. “We’ll put our heads together and see what we think.”

Chris Coghlan, Khris Davis and Josh Reddick each hit solo home runs for the Athletics, who lost their second in a row after winning the previous six.

Josh Donaldson scored twice for Toronto. The Blue Jays, the highest-scoring team in the majors last year, have posted at least five runs for a season-best three games in a row.

Recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to make a spot start as Toronto gave its rotation an extra day of rest, right-hander Drew Hutchison (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits in 52/3 innings.

“I felt I was a little off to be honest,” Hutchison said. “I wasn’t real sharp, but I made some big pitches when I needed to.”

Although Hutchison is expected to be sent back to Buffalo this week, he made an impression on the Athletics.

“He threw me some nasty changeups, I can tell you that,” Oakland catcher Stephen Vogt said. “He looked good, he kept the ball down.”

Last year, the Blue Jays averaged a whopping 7.9 runs per game in Hutchison’s 28 starts.

“He brings out the best in the offense,” manager John Gibbons said. “We always score, so he’s also a good luck charm.”

Jesse Chavez and Brett Cecil each got two outs, Drew Storen worked the eighth and Roberto Osuna finished for his sixth save.

Davis led off the second with a homer to center to put Oakland up 1-0, but Surkamp couldn’t hold the lead for long.

Carrera tied it with a leadoff drive in the third and Toronto scored three more runs in the bat-around inning. Justin Smoak, Kevin Pillar and Darwin Barney all drove in runs with two-out singles.

Bautista snapped a 0-for-11 slump when he connected off Surkamp in the fourth for his fourth home run.

NOTES

Oakland has lost eight of its past nine games in Toronto.

A’s second basemanB Jed Lowrie (calf) was held out of the starting lineup for the first time this season. Tyler Ladendorf started.