Down by a run with two outs and none on base, the Tampa Bay Rays got RBI singles from both Adeiny Hechavarria & Shane Peterson to score two runs in the top of the ninth & beat the Oakland A’s 4-3 on Tuesday night. The Rays win makes them a season-high seven games over .500 & gives them their 51st win, after winning 68 games all of last year.
The game started with Rays starting pitcher Blake Snell struggling through another start going just four innings & allowing a run on a wild pitch, while the A’s got an outstanding start from pitcher Chris Smith, who went seven innings allowing two runs & throwing 89 pitches, just 4 more than Snell but lasting 3 more innings. And while Snell struggled & gave up a two run homerun to A’s outfielder Khris Davis in the first, the Rays bullpen was nearly perfect, going five innings allowing just one hit and striking out six.
Rays pitcher Adam Kolarek retired one batter in the eighth for his first major league win. Closer Alex Colume started the ninth by striking out the first two batters he faced, then after hitting a batter, got pinch hitter Matt Joyce to ground out to first to end the Rays comeback win. The save by Colume is his AL leading 28th.
The Rays, winners of six of their last seven games, go for the sweep on Wednesday afternoon. Rookie Jake Faria 4-0 2.00 ERA starts for the Rays, while the A’s send out right-hander Sonny Gray 5-4 3.72 ERA. Coverage begins on 620 WDAE at 3:00pm with the Rays Radio Network Pre-Game Show.