Oakland Athletics’ Ramon Laureano (22) prepares to get tagged out at home plate by Tampa Bay Rays catcher Christian Bethancourt while trying to score on an RBI single by Jace Peterson during the second inning at the Tropicana Field in St Petersburg on Fri Apr 7, 2023 (AP News photo)

Oakland Falls to Undefeated Rays 9-5

By Barbara Mason

Friday evening the Oakland A’s (2-5) took on the power house undefeated Tampa Bay Rays (7-0). The Rays come into this game after beating the Washington Nationals 7-2 while the A’s dropped one to the Cleveland Guardians 6-4 on Wednesday.

Neither team scored in the first inning but Oakland would score a run in the second inning. Jace Peterson hit a single to center driving Seth Brown home. Ramon Laureano was thrown out trying to score a second run. The Rays would have a very productive second inning driving in six runs. Harold Ramirez hit a solo home run but the fireworks began when Isaac Paredes hit a grand slam to extend the Tampa Bay lead to 6-1.

The A’s had a lot of work to do and single runs scored were not going to do it. They had one run in the third inning when Ryan Noda solo homered but the Rays would answer with a couple of solo home runs of their own. Both Manuel Margot and Christian Bethancourt knocked ball out of the park to extend their lead to 8-2.

Oakland got another run in the fifth inning when Aledmys Diaz ground rule doubled driving Esteury Ruiz home still trailing 8-3. The A’s would get another run in the seventh inning when Shea Langeliers knocked one out of the park for a 8-4 Oakland deficit.

The Rays Wander Franco would hit the fifth Tampa Bay homer in the eighth inning for the 9-5 win. The A’s got their final run of the game in the ninth inning when Kemp singled and Langliers scored.

It was the five home runs that killed the A’s in this game. They had more hits than the Rays with 12 to Tampa’s 10 but it was the long ball that mattered in this game. Oakland was able to get players on base in this game but just could not bring them home.

The A’s will meet the Rays in game two of this three game series Saturday. For the A’s Shintaro Fujinami (0-1 ERA 30.86) for the Rays Jeffery Springs (1-0 ERA 0.00) First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 PM.