|
 Norris grounded a single off former Athletics closer Grant
Balfour (1-4) into left field with two outs as Oakland notched its
eighth walk-off victory of the season and maintained its one-game
lead over the Los Angeles Angels atop the American League West. Jed
Lowrie had an RBI double among his three hits and Sam Fuld and Eric
Sogard each had two hits and scored for the Athletics, who prevailed
despite stranding 18 runners.
Evan Longoria homered and Desmond Jennings and James Loney had two
hits apiece for Tampa Bay, which had its franchise record-tying
eight-game road winning streak halted in the opener of a 10-game
road swing. Ryan Cook (1-1), the third reliever for the Athletics,
pitched a scoreless 10th for the victory.
Longoria led off the second with a homer off Jeff Samardzija, but
the Athletics answered in the third on a two-out single by Josh
Reddick and a double by Lowrie off the wall in right that missed
being a homer by inches. Tampa Bay reclaimed the lead with a two-out
rally of its own in the fifth when Kevin Kiermaier tripled and
scored on a single by Jennings.
Oakland chased Alex Cobb with three singles in the sixth, the last
by Josh Donaldson plating Sogard to knot it at 2-2 before Joel
Peralta escaped the jam. The Athletics left the bases loaded in the
eighth and the Rays failed on a squeeze bunt in the ninth.
[to top of second column] |
GAME NOTEBOOK: Rays RHP Cobb, who entered 5-0 in his last six starts, gave
up two runs in 5 2/3 innings while Athletics RHP Samardzija went seven
innings, yielding two runs on five hits. ... Athletics CF Coco Crisp
(neck) was not in the starting lineup for the eighth straight game but
drew a pinch-hit walk in the seventh inning. ... Tampa Bay manager Joe
Maddon was ejected with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning for
arguing a checked-swing call.
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