Athletics take down Rays 3-0

A’s pitching 2-hit the Rays

After an emotional split of the two final games of the Bay Bridge Series with the Giants at the Coliseum, the Oakland Athletics continued the current homestand with the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Mark Kotsay will send 25-year-old righty Joe Boyle to the mound tonight against 23-year-old Taj Bradley for the Rays.

Boyle got his night going with walks to two of his first three batters, Yandy Díaz and José Caballero. But two ground outs got him out of the top of the first. But the A’s struck first as Lawrence Butler singled and JJ Bleday pounded one out into the right field bleachers. It was JJ’s sixteenth of the season. The A’s took a 2-0 lead.

Through the top of the fifth, Boyle had given up just one hit and three walks; four baserunners in total. Zack Gelof led off the bottom of the fifth with a double into the left field corner. Max Schuemann bunted Gelof to third with one out. A Lawrence Butler sac fly drove Gelof home with the third run of the night for the A’s.

JJ Bleday led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk. After an Andujar pop out, Shea Langeliers walked, moving Bleday into scoring position. But Seth Brown grounded into a bang-bang double play to end the inning and the threat.

After six innings with 104 pitches thrown, Grant Holman replaced Joe Boyle. In just his second appearance in the Kelly Green and Gold, Holman struck out Jose Siri and Taylor Walls. He walked Alex Jackson but got Yandy Díaz to ground out Gelof to Brown.

Former A’s reliever Richard Lovelady entered the game to pitch the seventh. Abraham Toro singled and moved to second on an errant throw to first. He moved to third on a Lovelady wild pitch. Zack Gelof struck out for the first out of the inning. Max Schuemann grounded into a fielder’s choice, with Toro being thrown out at home. Butler struck out for the third out. At the end of seven, the A’s still lead 3-0.

Tyler Ferguson came in to pitch the eighth for the A’s. Ferguson did his job perfectly sending the Rays down 1-2-3. After the A’s went down in order in the bottom of the eighth, Mason Miller came in to shut down the Rays in the ninth. He got Rays rookie Junior Caminero to ground out short to first. Dylan Carlson struck out. Jose Siri walked. But Taylor Walls lined out to JJ Bleday to end the game and give Mason Miller his 19^th save of the year.

The win moves the A’s into sole possession of 4th place in the AL West and only 3.5 games behind the Rangers for 3rd.