Rays don't concede a goal in Oakland

By EMILY OHMAN

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OAKLAND, Calif. – JJ Bleday hit a two-run home run, Joe Boyle pitched six effective innings and the Oakland A's beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-0 on Monday night.

Bleday hit his 16th home run in the first inning and Lawrence Butler added a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, accounting for the entire offense.

“When I get that job done, we're going to have a run on the scoreboard,” Butler said. “I'm really focused in the box and trying to get the job done for my team.”

Boyle (3-5) limited the Rays to just two hits and three walks while recording six strikeouts. Grant Holman, Tyler Ferguson and Mason Miller each followed with hitless innings and combined for five more strikeouts, with Miller earning his 19th save.

“Throwing with conviction and trusting my stuff is probably the most important thing,” Boyle said after his performance. “That's what's worked for me in the past and that's what I want to continue to do.”

The A's took a lead in the first inning that they never gave up. Butler opened the inning with a single, and after Brent Rooker retired, Bleday smashed a fastball into the stands in right field.

“I love setting the tone for the team,” Butler said. “I try to bring energy, just try to get the guys going, so I like to strike first.”

Zack Gelof had two of Oakland's six hits, with a single in the second and a double in the fifth. He scored on Butler's sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Tampa Bay had runners on the field in all but three innings but failed to score. The Rays were hitless until the fifth inning, when Yandy Díaz hit a single with two outs but was helpless. Díaz has reached base in 31 consecutive road games.

Boyle threw 104 pitches and set a career high with six strikeouts.

“I definitely think he pulled through those six innings. It wasn't necessarily pretty,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said. “He really showed a little bit of fighting spirit and recovered a little bit, too.”

Rays starter Taj Bradley (6-8) allowed three runs and five hits with three walks and two strikeouts in six innings.

Rays right-hander Pete Fairbanks was placed on the 15-day injured list and will be out for two to four weeks after an MRI revealed a strained right latissimus dorsi, the same type of injury he suffered in 2022 that benched the closer for nearly half the season. Fairbanks pitched 44 strikeouts in just over 45 innings and posted a 3.57 ERA while earning 23 saves this season.

On Tuesday, Rays right-hander Shane Baz (0-2, 4.21 ERA) is scheduled to face right-hander Joey Estes (5-5, 4.72).

Originally published: August 20, 2024 at 00:35