By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–The A’s avoided the no-no. They did not avoid the oh-no.

On a quiet night–emphasis on quiet–at the Coliseum, the A’s were shutout 6-0 (the third time the A’s have been shut out in their last eight games), limited to one hit, committed four errors, and did so in front of the smallest crowd of the season to date.

That’s the oh-no.

The momentum from sweeping the Blue Jays four straight in Toronto? Completely disappeared. The A’s have opened their home stand following the once in a decade achievement in Canada by losing four of six. And apparently, losing their offense in the process as well. The A’s have scored four runs or fewer in each of their last 14 home games, tying an Oakland A’s record for such unwatchable things.

Unwatchable? The announced crowd of 6,705 was the smallest in Oakland since 2003.

“We’re struggling,” manager Bob Melvin said. “You’re never as bad as it seems when it’s your worst, and you’re never at your best when things are going great. We’ve got to find a middle ground somewhere.”

Occupying the middle ground on Wednesday–and making sure the A’s weren’t welcome there–was Nathan Eovaldi, the oft-injured, flamethrower who started for the Rays in his first start in nearly two years after a second, Tommy John procedure, and a follow-up procedure on his elbow.

Simply, Eovaldi was so good it’s like where do we start. Well, with his first pitch, clocked at 98 mph. From there, Eovaldi dealt, retiring 18 batters and walking Matt Chapman on four pitches. He started 13 of the 19 batters he faced with a strike, but only struck out four. Quick outs, unhittable pitches, and then Eovaldi was gone after six. What other decision could Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash make?

“Every time he gets on the mound the velocity is there,” Cash said. “It’s kind of “wow factor” velocity, but you learn that’s him.”

“He did not look really crisp with the pitches (thrown in the first inning) and the command, and he did a nice job of taking a deep breath and getting back in the zone. And then he just went on cruise control after that.”

“I would have liked to stay out there until I gave up a hit, but I understand the situation as well,” Eovaldi said of his inevitable, early departure.

Reliever Wilmer Font, the former Athletic making his Tampa Bay debut, would allow a hit to Jed Lowrie in the seventh, breaking up the potential no-hitter. But Font rolled through the seventh and eighth, then Vidal Nuno pitched a flawless ninth in a non-save situation.

Instead of hits, the smattering of A’s fans were treated to errors, two from Chad Pinder, playing shortstop while Marcus Semien was off at the hospital awaiting the birth of his child.

While the errors elicited groans from the crowd, they did not contribute to the Rays’ four runs off Sean Manaea, who again was off his game. Manaea’s biggest mistake was a 3-1, fastball that Rob Refsnyder transformed into a three-run homer in the third.

Manaea’s win-loss record fell to 5-6, after he started the season 4-1 in April.

“I’m trying to figure out some things,” Manaea said. “It’s just not working right now.”

Khris Davis, the A’s leading home run hitter with 13, is expected to return to the lineup Thursday afternoon  for the series finale with Ray’s. Davis missed nine games with a groin strain.