Matt Chapman‘s RBI double in the top of the ninth inning off Diego Castillo broke a 2-2 tie, and allowed the Oakland Athletics to salvage a split of the four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays with a 3-2 decision Thursday afternoon at Tropicana Field.
Castillo trouble in the ninth began with a one-out walk to Jed Lowrie, and after Sean Murphy made the second out on a fly ball to left, Chapman laced a ball over the head of Brett Phillips in right, allowing Lowire to score from first base.
Tampa Bay again took an early lead off starter Chris Bassitt, who hit Brandon Lowe with a slider with one away in the bottom of the first. Two batters later, Austin Meadows split his bat, but the baseball ended up splitting between Ramon Laureano and Stephen Piscotty, which let Lowe score all the way from first base.
The Rays had a chance to break the game open in the second thanks to a one-out double by Francisco Mejia followed by a two-out walk to Phillips and Kevin Kiermaier being hit by a pitch to load the bases. But Brandon Lowe could not come through, flying out to center to end the threat.
Left-hander Shane McClanahan, who was called up to make the start Thursday, overpowered Oakland’s hitters the first time through the order, but in the third, a second look at the former USF Bull led to the A’s tying the game. Tony Kemp drew a walk, took second on a wild pitch, and tried to score on a single by Mark Canha. However, Phillips was able to throw a strike to the plate and nab Phillips by a step and a half to keep the game 1-0.
Ramon Laureano would tie the game up on the very next pitch though, doubling into the left field corner to bring around Canha.
Matt Chapman broke the tie an inning later with a solo shot off McClanahan, his fourth homer of the season.
Lowe got the game tied back up in the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot off Bassitt, his fourth of the season.
Phillips got himself into scoring position in the seventh, drawing a leadoff walk against Yusmeiro Petit and stealing second base, though the top of the order couldn’t bring him in. He’d do the same with two out in the ninth, singling off Athletics closer Lou Trivino, moving to second on a wild pitch and stealing third base. But Kevin Kiermaier struck out looking to end the game and left the Rays having to settle for a split of the four-game series.
The Houston Astros will come to Tropicana Field for the first time since the 2019 postseason on Friday to begin a three-game series. Ryan yarbrough (1-2, 4.28 ERA) will get the start, taking on Lance McCullers Jr. (1-1, 4.58 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
