By DANIEL DULLUM
Sports Radio Service
Thursday, May 22, 2014

Tampa Bay’s Sean Rodriguez smacked a dramatic three-run home run with two out in the bottom of the 11th inning Thursday, lifting the Rays past Oakland 5-2, salvaging the third game of their midweek series against the Athletics at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Rodriguez hit his team-leading fifth homer of the season off A’s reliever Luke Gregorson after Desmond Jennings delivered a two-out game-tying single off losing pitcher Dan Otero (4-1).

The loss ended Oakland’s five-game winning streak, and snapped Tampa Bay’s four-game skid. It was also the Athletics’ second loss in their last 13 games.

Rays’ reliever Josh Lueke (1-2) finished the 11th inning to get the win. The A’s took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 11th on a sacrifice fly by Yeonis Cespedes, who also drove in the first Oakland run with an RBI double in the ninth inning off TB closer Grant Balfour.

Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Yunel Escobar.

A’s starter Sonny Gray tossed eight innings to reduce his American League-leading earned run average to 1.99. Alex Cobb, making his first start for the Rays since April 12, threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings. Cobb has spent 35 days on the disabled list with a strained left oblique.

Cobb also tied a Rays record with his third consecutive scoreless start.

Tampa Bay’s rally in the ninth ended on a replay. Jennings was ruled to be caught stealing after the play was originally ruled safe. The replay challenge took two minutes and 13 seconds.

A’s ACORNS: Oakland OF Coco Crisp and SS Jed Lowrie returned to the Athletics’ lineup after both were sidelined with sore necks. … The A’s travel to Toronto for a weekend series. On Friday, LHP Scott Kazmir (5-1) faces Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (4-4). … A’s INF Eric Sogard will distribute eye glasses to over 50 deserving children on Tuesday, May 27, at Franklin Elementary School in Oakland. Sogard, one of the few major leaguers to wear glasses on the field, will make the visit in conjunction with Vision To Learn, a nonprofit that provides free eye exams and glasses to children in low-income communities.