Rays 8, Athletics 3
Evan Longoria belted his fourth homer in five games and Ben Zobrist added a pair of RBI singles as Tampa Bay rolled over visiting Oakland.
Jose Lobaton knocked in his first two runs of the season with a single in the first inning for the Rays and Longoria hit his two-run blast in the fourth for an 8-2 lead. Tampa Bay starter Alex Cobb (2-1) allowed three runs and 10 hits over 7 1/3 innings.
Jed Lowrie collected four hits and Coco Crisp homered for the Athletics, who lost for the first time in seven road games. Oakland starter Brett Anderson (1-3) lasted only one inning, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks before leaving with a sprained right ankle.
Lowrie and Brandon Moss delivered RBI singles in the first inning as Oakland jumped to a 2-0 lead. The Rays responded with four in the bottom half, ignited by RBI singles from Zobrist and Sean Rodriguez and capped by Lobaton’s two-run single to left field.
Shelley Duncan doubled and scored on a single by Ryan Roberts to extend Tampa Bay’s lead to 5-2 in the third. Zobrist added his second RBI single in the fourth and trotted home on Longoria’s home run to left field on a 1-2 pitch.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Lobaton’s first-inning single was Tampa Bay’s first hit with the bases loaded this season after going 0-for-12. Oakland pitchers had not allowed a hit with the bases full coming into the game as well. … Crisp extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a double on the first pitch of the contest. … Cobb has allowed three earned runs or less in 17 of his last 18 starts, dating back to last July.