Rays 6, A’s 3: Reversed last night’s result!

The Rays are in Oakland and are looking to bounce back after last night’s loss in the “Reverse Boycott” game. Tyler Glasnow starts against A’s starting pitcher Luis Medina.

Yandy Diaz led this game off and quickly found his way on base after hitting a leadoff single. Wander Franco singled shortly after that, but Yandy was thrown out at third trying to grab the extra base. The inning continued to go south after Wander was picked off, while Josh Lowe grounded out to end the frame.

Glasnow started his first inning of work with a ground out of Esteury Ruiz, but walked Ryan Noda to allow his first base runner. Fortunately, he forced a ground ball and got Seth Brown to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Randy Arozarena began the second inning by drawing a walk, and he moved up to third after Isaac Paredes doubled to left. After Luke Raley struck out, Christian Bethancourt hit a fly ball to right that was deep enough to allow Arozarena to score, giving the Rays a 1-0 lead on a sac fly. Taylor Walls grounded out to end the inning.

Glasnow struggled in his second inning of work, allowing a leadoff double to Brent Rooker before recording the first out in the inning, moving Rooker up to third. He managed to prevent Rooker from scoring when a grounder was hit to third base just weak enough, allowing Paredes to throw Rooker out at home.

Aledmys Diaz singled with two outs in the inning, and JJ Bleday gave the A’s the lead shortly after that, hitting a three-run home run into the right field seats and making it 3-1 A’s. Glasnow appeared to be showing his hand throughout the inning, with subtle lifts of his glove right as he’d start his delivery of a fastball to home. A flyout by catcher Shea Langeliers ended the inning.

Luis Medina worked a quick third inning, allowing just a single to Wander Franco but striking out two Rays in the process. Glasnow managed to do the same, allowing a single to Esteury Ruiz, but striking out the next three A’s batters to retire the side. Unfortunately for the Rays, Ruiz was even better in the fourth, as he faced the minimum after Randy was thrown out trying to steal second.

Glasnow got the job done again in the bottom of the fourth, but not perfectly, as he allowed a single to Jace Peterson and walked Jonah Bride. He struck out Aledmys Diaz before getting the inning-ending double play on a groundout by JJ Bleday, getting retribution for the home run.

The Rays offense set off to remove the blemish left by that home run, as Taylor Walls singled with one out in the fifth and Manuel Margot doubled to score him, making it 3-2 A’s. Yandy Diaz doubled to left to plate Margot and tie this game at 3 apiece.

Sam Moll entered after Medina recorded the inning’s second out, and Moll was welcomed by a Josh Lowe single to score Diaz and give the Rays a 4-3 lead. Randy drew a walk, but Isaac Paredes grounded out to end the constructive inning.

Glasnow’s fifth inning of work was efficient, setting down the A’s in order on only nine pitches. The offense replicated Glasnow’s inning with a 1-2-3 inning of their own, needing only eight pitches to switch the side.

Seth Brown started the bottom of the sixth off with a single to right, and a wild pitch by Glasnow moved him up to second. Glasnow walked Brent Rooker, and after striking out Jace Peterson, walked Jonah Bride to load the bases. That marked the end of Glasnow’s day, as Ryan Thompson was brought in to try and preserve the one-run lead.

It was a shaky outing for Glasnow, who threw a few of good innings with just one blemish. He threw 94 pitches over 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits. He walked four but struck out six. Thompson’s fifth pitch to Aledmys Diaz resulted in exactly what he was looking for, a ground ball to end the inning with a 6-4-3 double play.

Lucas Erceg was brought in by the A’s to replace Moll, and Erceg was welcomed by Manuel Margot, who doubled to left. He advanced on a wild pitch, then scored on a wild pitch, making it 5-3 Rays.

Thompson stayed in the work the bottom of the seventh, and he was great, striking out two in a hitless inning of work. The Rays offense looked to add on once again in the eighth, but Luke Raley getting picked off and Taylor Walls popping out to end the inning thwarted any chance of a big inning.

Colin Poche was tabbed to work the bottom of the eighth, and Poche struck out Ryan Noda to start the inning. After pinch-hitter Carlos Perez flew out, Poche struck out Brent Rooker to cap off his 1-2-3 inning.

Manuel Margot led off the top of the ninth, and for the third time tonight, he doubled, this time to left for the second time. Yandy Diaz once again followed that up with a hit of his own, a single up the middle to plate Margot and make it 6-3 Rays. Wander Franco drew a walk to keep the pressure on, but the next three batters struck out to move this game on to the bottom of the ninth.

Jason Adam entered to pitch the final frame, but he allowed a leadoff single to Jace Peterson. Jonah Bride flew out before Adam struck out Aledmys Diaz, bringing JJ Bleday up as Oakland’s final hope. Adam got him to pop out to third, securing the victory and snapping Oakland’s seven-game winning streak.

The offense was back in form tonight, led by Manny Margot and Yandy Diaz, as Glasnow pitched well enough to earn himself the win. The Rays will try and even the series tomorrow afternoon inside of the Oakland Coliseum, sending Taj Bradley to face A’s right-hander Paul Blackburn. First pitch is scheduled for 3:37 pm.