Rays 5, Athletics 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Facing a pitcher who used to call Tropicana Field home, the Rays made Oakland starter Scott Kazmir feel quite comfortable over the first four innings of Friday's contest, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Kazmir, who entered Friday's contest with a 5.64 ERA, seemed to have found his early-season mojo when he had gone 2-0 with a 0.99 ERA while holding opponents to a .158 batting average in four April starts. Rays 3B Evan Longoria, though, turned the tide against his former teammate, smacking a three-run homer to left in the fifth inning to give Tampa Bay a 3-1 lead and eventual 5-2 victory.
Kazmir, who lasted 5 2/3 innings, lost for the third time in four starts this month and fell to 2-3 on the season.
Rays starter Chris Archer scattered six hits over 5 2/3 innings while giving up only one run to earn his fifth win of the year. It is the second straight win for Archer, who had gone three consecutive starts without a victory until beating the Minnesota Twins in his last outing.
The A's went up 1-0 in the fourth inning when C Stephen Vogt, mired in a 7-for-41 slump, smacked a line drive into the right field seats for his 10th home run of the season. Vogt, who entered the contest ranked second in the American League in slugging percentage, has six homers in May.
The Rays failed to score in a third inning filled with passed balls, runners who the A's thought they caught stealing, balls thrown into the outfield, and double stolen bases. After C Rene Rivera was thrown out trying to stretch a single down the left field line into a double, the Rays had men in scoring position with CF Brandon Guyer on third and RF Steven Souza, Jr. on second, but Longoria hit a grounder to A's 3B Brett Lawrie -- who threw out Guyer at home -- and LF Joey Butler struck out.
In the fifth, Guyer singled to left to lead off the inning and advanced to second on an error by A's 1B Max Muncy during a sacrifice bunt attempt by Souza. Longoria then ripped a 1-2 pitch by Kazmir over the left field wall.
The Rays added to their lead in the seventh when Souza hit his seventh dinger of the season, a solo liner off A's reliever Evan Scribner that barely cleared the wall in left.
The A's added a run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly, but Rays closer Brad Boxberger entered the game with one on and two outs and struck out Vogt to earn his 13th save of the season.
NOTES: Rays LHP pitcher C.J. Riefenhauser (shoulder) and INF Ryan Brett (shoulder) will begin rehab assignments with Class A Charlotte StoneCrabs on Sunday. ... Athletics RHP Edward Mujica, who left Thursday's game with two outs in the seventh inning after being hit by a come-back grounder off his pitching hand, was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured right thumb. The A's replaced him on the roster with INF Andy Parrino from Triple-A Nashville. They also recalled 2B Tyler Ladendorf (ankle) from Nashville and placed him on the 60-day disabled list. ... A's manager Bob Melvin said the team will decide soon whether to put OF Coco Crisp on the disabled list due to the neck injury he suffered Tuesday night while trying a diving catch in Oakland's 6-1 loss in Houston. They have plans to add RHP Kendall Graveman, who will start Saturday's game against the Rays. ... Former Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington was hired as a coach on Thursday to help the struggling Oakland A's defense and arrived in St. Petersburg on Friday.