ST. PETERSBURG (SNN-TV) – Cole Irvin pitched into the seventh inning, and the Oakland Athletics beat Tampa Bay 6-3 Thursday to take three of four from the Rays.
Irvin (1-1) allowed three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings as the rebuilding A’s under new manager Mark Kotsay improved to 4-3. Two of the runs off Irvin were in his final inning.
Cristian Pache had a two-out RBI single with two on in the second and scored on the play to make it 3-0 after the Rays misplayed his hit to center. Left fielder Randy Arozarena was charged with an error after the ball deflected off him while he was sliding, and the ball eluded center fielder Kevin Kiermaier and ended up on the warning track.
Sean Murphy’s third-inning run-scoring double off Josh Fleming (1-1) gave Oakland a 4-1 lead.
Up next Rays starter Drew Rasmussen faces off with the Chicago White Sox’s Dylan Cease Friday night at 7:10pm.
