The Tampa Bay Rays jump for joy after defeating the Oakland A’s in the second of the four game series on Tue Apr 27, 2021 (@RaysBaseball photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Joey Wendle’s stroked an insurance RBI single, and Diego Castillo earned his fifth save, as Tampa Bay edged Oakland 4-3 Tuesday at Tropicana Field.

Wendle singled to shallow left field drove in Randy Arozarena in the bottom of the seventh. The Athletics battled back when Sean Murphy homered to left in the top of the ninth off Castillo, his third of the season, cutting the Rays’ lead to 4-3.

Tampa Bay went ahead to stay in the bottom of the sixth on Brett Phillips’ two-run home run that erased a 2-1 A’s lead and eventually gave A’s starter Frankie Montas (2-2) the loss. Earlier, Mitch Moreland’s sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth broke a 1-1 tie.

Jeffrey Springs (1-0) worked the sixth inning to earn the win. Rays starter Michael Wacha struck out two without a walk in five innings.

Montas gave up three earned runs on six hits while striking out five and walking two in six innings. He was followed on the mound by J.B. Wendelken and Reymin Guduan.

Matt Olson had two of Oakland’s eight hits, while Francisco Mejia was 3-for-4 for the Rays, leading their 10-hit attack.

The two teams meet again on Wednesday, with Cole Irvin (2-2, 3.86) on the mound for Oakland, facing the Rays’ Tyler Glasnow (2-1, 2.05).