mr. smith checks in

The Oakland A’s, who made a habit of the walk-off win (14 of 'em) during a magical regular season, were at it again on Wednesday night. And Jackson’s Seth Smith was right in the thick of things. With the A’s down 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Smith ripped a two-run double and then scored himself two outs later on Coco Crisp’s single to even the American League Division Series with Detroit at 2-all. Former Ole Miss star Smith had been fairly quiet as Oakland lost the first two games of this series. But he hit a big home run at O.Co Coliseum — his first in three postseasons — in Tuesday’s 2-0 win. Smith hit just .150 over the last 21 games of the regular season, but A’s manager Bob Melvin has kept the left-handed hitter in the lineup against Detroit’s right-handed starters. “It’s not like Seth Smith’s any slouch,” teammate Jonny Gomes, his frequent platoon partner, told mlb.com. So true. Smith was 4-for-11 in the postseason prior to this year, playing with Colorado in 2007 and 2009. Some remember him for making the last out, a strikeout, against Boston (and Mississippi State alum Jonathan Papelbon) in the ’07 World Series. He’s giving us something else to remember now. ... P.S. Kudos to former Mississippi Braves outfielder Gregor Blanco on his first postseason homer on Wednesday, which helped San Francisco even its National League Division Series with Cincinnati at 2-all.