Tampa Bay Rays starter Shane Baz heads to the dugout in the bottom of the fifth inning against the Oakland A’s at the Oakland Coliseum on Tue Aug 20, 2024 (AP News photo)

Tampa Bay (63-62). 000 000 010. 1 3 0

Athletics (54-72). 000 000 000. 0 3 0

Time: 1:54

Attendance: 4,377

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–We’ve become accustomed to well pitched, tight games at the site of the doomed pleasure palace off the Nimitz freeway, and this Tuesday night’s contest between the flirting with .500 Floridians from Tampa Bay and the too late surging Oakland Athletics (54-72) about to desert the bay for Sacramento and the desert was no exception. The Tampa Bay Rays (63-62) wound up on top, 1-0, in a game that could have gone either way.

The Athletics’ starting pitcher Joey Estes, hadn’t been part of the team’s recent renaissance that had given them a 24-15 record since July 1, the fourth best in the majors and earned them sole possession in the AL West, but he sure did pitch masterfully Tuesday night.

The 22 year old right hander pitched deep into the game, 7-2/3 innings, before Estes surrendered his third, and final hit. Unfortunately, it was a home run to José Siri, a 415 foot blast that went over the Sports California sign in center field, his 15th round tripper and 39th RBI of the year.

It brought his batting average up to .195. Aside from that one bad pitch, a 92 mph four seamer, you couldn’t have asked Estes for a better performance. A double by Yandy Díaz in the sixth was the only other extra base hit he allowed.

Estes faced 19 batters, throwing them 94 pitches, only 27 of them balls, issuing but one free pass. But he took the loss, leaving him with a record of 5-6, 4.44. Michel Otáñez got Yandy Díaz to ground out to short for the third out and then put the Rays down in order in the ninth.

Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz was just a smidgen better than Estes. He, too, lasted 7-2/3 frames and surrendered three hits . He walked three and struck out four. All of the hits against him were singles. 31 of his 92 deliveries were balls.

The win improved his season’s record to 1-2, 3.48). Edwin Uceda relieved Daz after Darell Hernaíz got the A’s third and final hit. He pitched a perfect ninth to earn his first save.

Miguel Andj́ar, Sean Langeliers, and Darell Hernaíz were the only A’s not held hitless. Langeliers’ safety was on a high bouncing ball to third. Tampa Bay’s Díaz was the only batter on either team logged a multi-hit game.

The match up for the third encounter of this four game series will start Wednesday, evening at 6:40pm PT and feature right handers Mitch Spence (7-8 , 4.54) for the Athletics and Ryan Pepiot (6-5, 3.69). If it’s anything like the first two games of this series, it’ll be great fun to watch.