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Ben Zobrist recorded three hits, including two doubles, and
knocked in a run while Desmond Jennings added two RBIs as the
Rays snapped a five-game losing streak at Oakland. Hellickson
(1-1) yielded two hits and did not walk a batter as Tampa Bay
remained 5 1/2 games behind Toronto for the second American
League wild-card spot.
Oakland starter Sonny Gray (12-5) permitted a career-high seven
runs (six earned) and 10 hits over 4 1/3 innings to suffer his
second straight loss. Eric Sogard launched a solo homer and Josh
Reddick lined a two-run double in the ninth for the Athletics,
who remained two games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels in the AL
West.
Kiermaier’s groundout brought home a run in the second inning
and he hammered the first pitch he saw from Gray over the
right-field wall for a two-run shot in the fourth. Two batters
later, Zobrist doubled and scored on Evan Longoria’s two-out
bloop single to give the Rays a 4-0 lead.
Jennings added a two-run single up the middle to end Gray’s
afternoon in fifth and Zobrist pushed the lead to 7-0 with a
run-scoring base hit off Jesse Chavez. Yunel Escobar, Jose
Molina and James Loney added two hits apiece for the Rays, who
scored two total runs in losing the first two games of the
series.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Loney went 2-for-4 with a walk to reach base for
the 25th consecutive game. … Oakland lost for only the third
time in its last 16 games against AL East opponents. … Tampa Bay
begins a three-game series at the Chicago Cubs on Friday and
Oakland hosts Minnesota to start a four-game set Thursday.
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