TAMPA, Fla. — In a tightly contested battle on Tuesday night, the Athletics edged out the Tampa Bay Rays with a 4-3 victory, courtesy of Austin Wynns’ sacrifice fly in the 10th inning. This marks the Rays’ third consecutive loss, a streak not seen since their early May encounters with the Phillies. The team’s recent struggles are notable, particularly against last-place teams, having lost four out of five games.
Colby Thomas, who had earlier celebrated his inaugural career hit, began the 10th inning on second base. Denzel Clarke advanced Thomas to third with a sacrifice, setting the stage for Wynns’ decisive at-bat. Max Schuemann, filling in for a sidelined Jacob Wilson due to a hamstring issue, managed to secure a walk against Mason Montgomery (1-2), paving the way for Wynns to clinch the win.
Despite some tense moments, Michael Kelly (2-0) clinched the win. He navigated through a precarious situation in the ninth by allowing two singles and a wild pitch. Mason Miller, claiming his 17th save of the season, showed nerves of steel as he intentionally walked Jonathan Aranda with two outs. However, he quickly regained composure, striking out Brandon Lowe after an additional wild pitch.
The A’s were powered by Max Muncy’s two-run homer in the fourth inning, complemented by Shea Langeliers’ solo shot in the sixth. Christopher Morel, Brandon Lowe, and Danny Jansen each homered for the Rays. Shane Baz, the Rays’ starting pitcher, showcased an impressive performance through seven innings, surrendering five hits and tying his career-high of 11 strikeouts while only issuing one walk.
A pivotal moment unfolded when José Caballero, after stealing his 30th base of the season, was thrown out at second by Langeliers, thwarting the Rays’ ninth-inning rally. The Athletics’ series win over Tampa Bay is their first since April 2022, in stark contrast to the Rays’ previous streak of eight consecutive home series victories.
Looking ahead, the Rays are set to field Ryan Pepiot (5-6, 3.36 ERA) as their right-handed starter for Wednesday’s matchup against the Athletics’ Mitch Spence (2-3, 3.83 ERA). The series promises to deliver more thrilling baseball action.