Game 34: Oakland A’s 2 Rays 1— Postgame News and Notes
Tampa Bay was no-hit for seven innings by Sean Manaea on Friday night in Oakland, then battled back to tie the game against the A’s. However, the Rays (18–16) fell 2–1 in the ninth, as Oakland ended Tampa Bay’s five-game win streak.
Oakland won the game in the ninth against Jeffrey Springs. With two out, Seth Brown, who came off the bench to drive home both runs, homered to right, his fourth of the year, to end the game.
That made a winner out of Jake Diekman, who got the last two outs in the ninth, and allowed Oakland to win on a night where Manaea was dominant for much of the game.
Tampa Bay struck out five times the first time through the order against Manaea. The lefty didn’t have more than 12 pitches in an inning at any point through six innings, and had thrown just 58 pitches to that point.
Randy Arozarena walked on five pitches to open the seventh, ending the perfect game. After Manuel Margot struck out, Brandon Lowe flew out to the wall in right, and Yandy Diaz grounded hard to short into a fielder’s choice.
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However, the Rays ended that stretch in the eighth. Mike Brosseau, Manaea’s high school teammate for a season in Indiana, lined a double to right-center. Manaea departed after striking out Kevin Kiermaier. Manaea went 7.1 innings, striking out 10, while walking one and allowing two hits.
Meanwhile, Rays starter Rich Hill kept Tampa Bay in the game with his best results of the season. Hill threw six shutout innings on 79 pitches, allowing two hits, two walks and a hit batter, striking out four. He now has allowed just two runs in his last 15 innings of work.
Hill walked the leadoff batter in the first and second innings, and hit the leadoff batter in the third. However, the A’s didn’t get a runner past second in any of those innings and collected just a pair of singles over the first six innings, both by Jed Lowrie.
It was Lowrie that got the A’s on the board against reliever Andrew Kittredge in the seventh. Lowrie doubled off the wall in left-center with one out. Seth Brown pinch-hit for Steven Piscotty and lined an RBI single to right-center, scoring Lowrie for the game’s only run.
Elvis Andrus then delivered a hit-and-run single to put runners at the corners. Tony Kemp tried a safety squeeze and popped it up, but it was ruled Zunino couldn’t hold on in foul ground. Andrus then was thrown out trying to steal second, a play originally ruled a stolen base but overturned upon review. Tony Kemp struck out, limiting damage to a single run.
Pete Fairbanks pitched the eighth, his first outing since coming off the injured list. Mark Canha singled and stole second, but Fairbanks struck out Ramon Laureano. After a wild pitch moved Canha to third, Fairbanks fanned Matt Olson and Sean Murphy to keep the game even.
Game two of the three-game series is on Saturday. Tyler Glasnow starts opposite Frankie Montas. Coverage on the Rays Radio Network begins at 3:30 p.m. and Dave and Andy will have the call with first pitch at 4:07.
