OAKLAND, Calif. -- In a series that began as Josh Donaldson's homecoming and ended as Scott Kazmir's departure, Toronto Blue Jays veteran right-hander R.A. Dickey wound up being a story.

Funny, because he was supposed to be on vacation.

Dickey was pressed into duty Thursday because of teammate Drew Hutchison's illness and won a battle of replacement starting pitchers over Drew Pomeranz, throwing 8 1/3 innings of five-hit, two-run ball in the Blue Jays' 5-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

Pomeranz was summoned out of the bullpen when, just a few hours before game time, Oakland dealt Kazmir, its scheduled starter, to the Houston Astros for minor-league right-hander Daniel Mengden and catcher Jacob Nottingham.

"It's never easy to deal with," A's veteran right fielder Josh Reddick said of the shock of the trade. "But we also know how this business works over here."

Dickey, meanwhile, was pushed up a day in the rotation when Hutchison, whose turn had arrived in the rotation, couldn't take the ball because of what was labeled flu-like symptoms.

The knuckleballer showed no ill effects of the schedule change, overcoming two early runs to nearly go the distance for the second time this season.

"It's not a big issue," said Dickey, who was pitching on four days' rest. "The pitch that I throw is pretty resilient, so there are no real physical limitations."

Dickey (4-10) allowed only two hits after Oakland's two-run third inning and was two outs from what would have been the first complete game pitched against the A's this season before hitting designated hitter Billy Butler with a pitch.

Dickey allowed just one walk and struck out six in his first win since June 18.

"I'd like to say it doesn't affect you at all," he said of his five-game winless streak and his losing season in general. "But when you look up there and see 3-10, it hurts.

"I'm a veteran. I can deal with it. I would like to string together a bunch of wins now."

Right-hander Bo Schultz needed just two pitches to post his first save. He got first baseman Ike Davis, the hero of Oakland's 10-inning win Wednesday, to ground into a game-ending double play.

The win allowed the second-place Blue Jays (49-48) to keep pace in the American League East with the streaking New York Yankees (53-41), who won earlier in the day. Toronto remained 5 1/2 games behind.

"We just want to stay close until we get to play them," Dickey said. "We've got 13 games against them. Then it'll be on us. Then it comes down to playing better than they do.

"I'd like to see them lose more, though."

Catcher Russell Martin smacked a two-run homer in the second inning and Donaldson added a solo shot in the fifth for the Blue Jays, who won two of three in the series.

Martin also doubled and scored in the fourth and had a sacrifice fly in the sixth. He finished with two hits, two runs and three RBIs. His homer, which scored left fielder Danny Valencia ahead of him, was his 14th of the season.

Donaldson's homer, his 23rd, capped a return to Oakland in which he totaled five hits.

"There was some excitement there," Donaldson said of throwing his arms in the air in front of his old fans just before touching home plate on his homer. "I was glad I was able to have some success."

Pomeranz didn't get out of the second inning, having thrown 44 pitches to the first eight batters he faced. He allowed two runs, two hits and one walk while striking out four.

Right-hander Dan Otero (2-4) took the loss after allowing three hits and two runs in three innings. He gave up an RBI double to designated hitter Chris Colabello in the fourth and Donaldson's homer in the fifth.

Center fielder Billy Burns had two hits, including a double, for the A's (44-53), who were outhit 8-5 and completed a 3-3 homestand.

"Obviously, everybody is sorry to see Scott go on a personal level, but it's our job to go out there and focus on one particular day," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "If you get too far out and you're worried about what potentially could happen or what the next shoe to drop is, then you're not focused on what we're doing today.

"It shouldn't be hard to play a baseball game."

Burns had an RBI single that scored shortstop Marcus Semien, who had doubled, for Oakland's first run in the third. Burns later came home on an infield out by Reddick to complete the team's scoring against Dickey.

NOTES: The Blue Jays have homered in five straight games. ... The win was RHP R.A. Dickey's first on the road this season. He had been 0-7 with a 5.60 ERA in nine starts. ... Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said RHP Drew Hutchison, scratched from Thursday's start because of an illness, was feeling better and has been tentatively slotted to pitch Friday's series opener in Seattle. ... RHP Daniel Mengden and C Jacob Nottingham, acquired by the A's in the trade that sent LHP Scott Kazmir to Houston, are expected to join Class A Stockton (Calif.) before the weekend. Mengden, the Astros' fourth-round draft pick in 2014, was 6-2 with a 3.46 ERA at Class A Quad Cities (eight games) and Lancaster (10 games) this season. Nottingham, a sixth-round pick in 2013, hit .326 (Quad Cities, 59 games) and .324 (Lancaster, 17 games) with a total of 14 home runs this season. ... The A's promoted RHP Arnold Leon from Triple-A Nashville to take Kazmir's spot on the major-league roster. He pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits ... Oakland likely will recall RHP Chris Bassitt from Nashville to start Saturday against the San Francisco Giants.