Rays 2, Athletics 1
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Left-hander Drew Smyly pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, and left fielder Desmond Jennings went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBIs, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 2-1 victory against the Oakland A's on Friday night at the O.co Coliseum.
Smyly (1-2) gave up seven hits, struck out two, walked none and threw 91 pitches in his second start since returning from a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder. He won for the first time since Aug. 27, 2014 at Baltimore, a span of 358 days, although injuries limited him to six starts during that stretch.
Smyly gave up five runs and seven hits over four innings Sunday in a 5-3 loss to Texas, his first start in 102 days.
Jennings, who was reinstated from the 60-day DL on Aug. 14 after recovering from left knee surgery, drove in the Rays' only run Thursday night in a 1-0 victory against Houston with a fourth-inning single. This time he lined an RBI single in the second off A's right-hander Chris Bassitt (1-5) then crushed a solo home run, his first blast of the year, in the eighth off Evan Scribner.
Smyly exited with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth inning Friday, but right-hander Brandon Gomes retired pinch hitter Stephen Vogt on a pop fly to end the inning. Gomes pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings and has now retired 26 straight batters over nine appearances. Steve Geltz pitched a scoreless eighth.
Closer Brad Boxberger gave up a run in the ninth and barely survived for his 30th save of the season.
Boxberger retired the first batter he faced in the ninth, but third baseman Brett Lawrie reached on an infield single, and Vogt singled him to second. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and left fielder Coco Crisp brought Lawrie home with a bloop single to center, cutting the lead to 2-1, as Vogt moved to third.
Crisp stole second base, putting the winning run into scoring position, but Boxberger struck out shortstop Marcus Semien and retired center fielder Billy Burn on a fly ball to left.
Bassitt gave up one run and six hits over 6 2/3 innings and lowered his ERA to 2.48, despite not being as sharp as he had been recently. Bassitt struck out three, walked two, hit two batters and threw a wild pitch. In his previous five starts he went 1-2 with a 2.34 ERA, 35 strikeouts and six walks.
Bassitt left the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh. Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte retired pinch hitter Daniel Nava on a pop up.
The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
Leading off, second baseman Logan Forsythe was hit by a pitch, and he went to second when Bassitt uncorked a wild pitch. Left fielder Desmond Jennings lined a hanging curve to left field with one out, driving in Forsythe.
The Rays loaded the bases with one out in the fifth. Bassitt gave up a drag bunt single to shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and an infield single to center fielder Kevin Kiermaier before walking catcher Curt Casali. However, Bassitt got designated hitter John Jaso to ground into an inning-ending double play.
The A's had only two hits, both singles, through the four innings, and didn't get a baserunner past first in that span. They finally put some pressure on Smyly in the fifth.
Left fielder Coco Crisp lined a two-out single and went to second on shortstop on Marcus Semien's single. Center fielder Billy Burns worked a 3-2 count, but Smyly struck him out swinging.
NOTES: Rays LHP Jake McGee underwent successful left knee surgery Friday to repair torn meniscus. Manager Kevin Cash said he hopes to have McGee back in action before the end of the regular season. ... A's 1B Ike Davis will have season-ending surgery Thursday to repair a torn labrum in his left hip, A's manager Bob Melvin said. ... Oakland INF Tyler Ladendorf (left ankle surgery) was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Nashville. ... A's LHP Sean Doolittle (strained left shoulder) pitched a perfect inning of relief, striking out the side, on Thursday night in a rehab appearance for Nashville. He probably will be activated soon, Melvin said. ... Rays DH John Jaso, who was acquired from Oakland on Jan. 10 in a five-player trade, faced the A's for the first time since that deal.