Luke Raley broke an eighth-inning tie with a home run and the visiting Tampa Bay Rays became the first major league team to 50 wins Thursday afternoon by edging the Oakland Athletics 4-3 to salvage a split in the four-game series.
After seeing a 3-0 lead disappear in a three-run Oakland fifth, the Rays got the difference-making run when Raley drilled the second pitch he saw from A’s reliever Austin Pruitt (1-4) for his 12th homer of the season with one out in the eighth.
The Tampa Bay bullpen took it from there, completing a 4 2/3-inning, five-man effort when Jason Adam and Pete Fairbanks combined to retire all six men they faced in the eighth and ninth. Activated from the injured list before the game, Fairbanks earned his sixth save, while Robert Stevenson (1-3), who got the final out of the seventh, was credited with the win.
Thursday’s game became the fourth straight competitive contest between first- and last-place teams in their respective decisions once the A’s finally figured out Rays starter Taj Bradley in the fifth.
Tampa Bay appeared to be in command through 4 1/2 innings, with Isaac Paredes having contributed an RBI single, Taylor Walls a run-scoring double and Manuel Margot a solo home run, his third, to a 3-0 cushion.
To that point, Bradley had been dominant, striking out the first six A’s in succession and 11 in all one out into the fifth.
But two walks and an error by third baseman Paredes opened the door for a game-tying rally, in which Ryan Noda opened the A’s scoring with an RBI single before Seth Brown made it 3-3 with a two-run single.
Bradley was pulled at the point, charged with three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Neither he nor A’s starter Paul Blackburn got a decision. The Oakland right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out nine.
Wander Franco had three hits, while Raley and Paredes added two apiece for the Rays, who out-hit the hosts 10-5 en route to a second straight win.
All five Oakland hits were singles.
–Field Level Media