|
 On Friday night, Smyly and Jennings made up for lost time, leading
the Rays to a 2-1 victory against the Oakland A's at the O.co
Coliseum.
Smyly pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, and Jennings went 2-for-4
with a solo home run and two RBIs as the Rays (61-61) pulled to
within two games of the Los Angeles Angels for the second American
League wild-card playoff spot.
Smyly (1-2) gave up six hits, struck out two and walked none in his
second start since returning from a torn labrum in his pitching
shoulder. He won for the first time since Aug. 27, 2014, at
Baltimore, a span of 358 days, although injuries limited him to six
starts during that stretch.
"It feels good," Smyly said of the victory. "Wasn't sure if I'd get
one earlier in the year. Wins and losses are out of your control. I
just try to keep the team in the game, compete and give us a chance
to win every night."
Smyly gave up five runs over four innings Sunday in a 5-3 loss to
Texas, his first start in 102 days.
"I commanded the strike zone way better with all my pitches, and
that's what you've got to do," Smyly said.
Jennings, who was reinstated from the 60-day DL on Aug. 14 after
recovering from left knee surgery, drove in the Rays' only run
Thursday night in a 1-0 victory against the Houston Astros with a
fourth-inning single. This time he lined an RBI single in the second
off A's starter Chris Bassitt (1-5), then crushed a solo home run,
his first blast of the year, in the ninth off reliever Evan
Scribner.
Jennings launched a 1-2 fastball into the left field seats.
"I was looking for a fastball," Jennings said. "He threw me two
sliders right out of the shoot, three sliders I think. I got beat in
with a couple fastballs in my two at-bats before. I had a feeling at
some point he was going to try to run a fastball in. Put a good
swing on it."
Smyly exited with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth inning,
but right-hander Brandon Gomes retired pinch hitter Stephen Vogt on
a pop fly to end the inning. Gomes pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings,
and Steven Geltz pitched a scoreless eighth.
Closer Brad Boxberger, who blew a save Wednesday in a loss to
Houston, gave up three hits and a run in the ninth before barely
surviving for his 30th save of the season.
Boxberger retired the first batter he faced, but third baseman Brett
Lawrie reached on an infield single, and Vogt singled him to second.
Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and left fielder Coco Crisp
brought Lawrie home with a bloop single to center, cutting the lead
to 2-1 as Vogt moved to third.
Crisp stole second base, putting the winning run into scoring
position, but Boxberger struck out shortstop Marcus Semien and
retired center fielder Billy Burns on a fly ball to left.
[to top of second column] |
"Infield hit and then the blooper," Boxberger said. "It all just
kind of magnifies itself when things aren't going your way. I'll
take it as a step in the right direction and go from there."
Bassitt gave up one run and six hits over 6 2/3 innings and lowered
his ERA to 2.48 despite not being as sharp as he had been recently.
Bassitt struck out three, walked two, hit two batters and threw a
wild pitch. In his previous five starts, he went 1-2 with a 2.34
ERA, 35 strikeouts and six walks.
"Tonight was aggravating in general because nothing I was throwing
was going where I wanted it to go," Bassitt said. "I don't know if
it was the off day or what. I was just extremely wild -- effectively
at some point."
The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
Leading off, second baseman Logan Forsythe was hit by a pitch, and
he went to second when Bassitt uncorked a wild pitch. Jennings lined
a hanging curve to left field with one out, driving in Forsythe.
"We got our share of hits, we couldn't get a big one when we needed
one," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "We're down to the last at-bat,
and a hit right there we can potentially win the game. We had some
good at-bats in the last inning."
NOTES: Rays LHP Jake McGee underwent successful left knee surgery
Friday to repair a torn meniscus. Manager Kevin Cash said he hopes
to have McGee back in action before the end of the regular season.
... A's 1B Ike Davis will have season-ending surgery Thursday to
repair a torn labrum in his left hip, A's manager Bob Melvin said.
... Oakland INF Tyler Ladendorf (left ankle surgery) was reinstated
from the 60-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Nashville.
... A's LHP Sean Doolittle (strained left shoulder) pitched a
perfect inning of relief, striking out the side, on Thursday night
in a rehab appearance for Nashville. He probably will be activated
soon, Melvin said.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
