Marcus Semien powers Blue Jays against former A’s team, finishing series finale with four-hit outing

After dropping the first two games in Oakland, the Blue Jays responded with a 9-4 win Wednesday night and then a 10-4 victory on getaway day Thursday to salvage a series split. The offensive star for the Jays on Thursday was a familiar face in Oakland. Now-second baseman Marcus Semien went 4 for 6 with a double and home run. 

Here’s the homer: 

Semien is now hitting .254/.326/.458 with seven home runs and 16 RBI here in his first season with Toronto. 

The home run Thursday was Semien’s 44th career shot in Oakland Coliseum, as he had previously played for six seasons with the A’s. He even finished third in MVP voting in 2019 for the ballclub. Then Semien hit free agency and predictably the A’s weren’t willing to pay him top dollar. There was actually a report from The Athletic that the A’s offered Semien a one-year, $12.5 million deal to stay, but that a whopping $10 million of that was to be deferred and paid in 10 one-year installments of $1 million. 

Semien ended up signing a one-year, $18 million deal with the Blue Jays, betting on himself to re-establish his value as an MVP candidate while also agreeing to move from shortstop to second base. 

Semien later said he wasn’t surprised the A’s didn’t offer him more money and he wasn’t outwardly bitter or anything, but we all know how professional athletes can carry chips on their shoulders with former teams letting them walk or trading them away. From that perspective, Thursday’s effort had to feel pretty satisfying for Semien. 

The Blue Jays are now 16-14 and two games out in the AL East. The A’s fall to 19-14, but remain in first place in the AL West.