OAKLAND -- Luis Barrera was desperate for a chance to redeem himself.

His day couldn¡¯t have started any worse. Entering the first game of Saturday¡¯s doubleheader against the Angels as a pinch-runner in the seventh inning of a tie game, Barrera ran the A¡¯s out of the inning by getting doubled off on a shallow flyout by Elvis Andrus. Just minutes later, the outfielder¡¯s mishaps carried over on defense in the eighth, overrunning a single to left field by Andrew Velazquez for an error that extended the Angels¡¯ lead to two runs.

With the A¡¯s trailing by two and his spot in the batting order due up fifth in the bottom of the ninth, Barrera¡¯s possible redemption seemed unlikely. However, a two-out rally sparked by Ram¨®n Laureano¡¯s double and Christian Bethancourt¡¯s walk set the stage against Angels closer Raisel Iglesias. Barrera got his moment and took full advantage, clobbering a 1-1 slider from the right-hander for a three-run blast over the Coliseum¡¯s right-field wall for a walk-off 4-3 victory over the Halos -- his first Major League home run.

¡°Baseball gods are real,¡± said A¡¯s starter Paul Blackburn, whose superb outing of one run allowed in 6 2/3 innings lowered his ERA to 1.67 on the year. ¡°That¡¯s incredible, honestly. I couldn¡¯t be more happy for [Barrera]. He comes to the ballpark every single day with a smile on his face. He¡¯s always working hard and trying to prove he belongs here.¡±

From the moment Barrera committed his error in the eighth, he immediately received positive reinforcement from Laureano, who ensured him he¡¯d get a chance to redeem himself later in the game. When Barrera made his way from the on-deck circle to the plate in the ninth, he received more encouragement from Bethancourt.

¡°Laureano kept telling me to stay ready for my turn,¡± said Barrera. ¡°Bethancourt told me he was going to try hard for a walk to give me that chance. When he went to first base, he told me, ¡®Vamos! Tu eres el hombre¡¯ ('Let¡¯s go, you¡¯re the man!') and, thankfully, I hit that home run.¡±

There was good reason for Barrera to believe this opportunity with the A¡¯s would never happen. It was just over a month ago on April 11, less than 24 hours after hitting a walk-off home run for Triple-A Las Vegas, that he was designated for assignment by the club.

Barrera is rated Oakland¡¯s No. 23 prospect per MLB Pipeline, so to say the news of his designation came to him as a shock would be an understatement. The 26-year-old outfielder vividly recalled what was the lowest moment of his professional baseball career.

¡°They called me that Monday before our flight to Salt Lake around 8:30 a.m. and told me I was DFA¡¯d and was off the roster,¡± Barrera said. ¡°I just said, ¡®Wow.¡¯ I was having a good season in Las Vegas, so I felt a little sad. A little down.¡±

Throughout the five-day period in which he was in virtual no-man¡¯s land as he was placed on waivers, Barrera received support from his wife, Marlene Collado, who kept his spirits up through the process.

¡°I went five days without playing,¡± Barrera said. ¡°Around the third or fourth day, I was talking to my wife and she picked me up. She told my career was not over yet. It¡¯s all about my mindset. I tried to get past the DFA and took it as a fresh start from zero.¡±

Going unclaimed on waivers, Barrera received a new beginning with the A¡¯s on May 9, when he was added back to the 40-man roster and recalled from Triple-A, where he was batting .286 with three homers, six doubles, a triple and 10 RBIs in 23 games this season. With the DFA serving as a wake-up call, Barrera also returns with a new mentality.

¡°I think Luis has matured a lot,¡± A's manager Mark Kotsay said. ¡°We kind of sent the message that in order to get back here, he had to establish a better work ethic and understanding of what is required on an everyday basis here. He¡¯s grasped that, and it¡¯s good to see him having success early.¡±

Getting a start in right field for Game 2, Barrera continued his success at the plate by collecting a pair of singles as he reached base in all three of his plate appearances in the A's 9-1 loss.