ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jose Siri made a great catch in the top of the ninth inning and singled in the winning run in the bottom half in the Tampa Bay Rays’ 4-3 win over the Oakland Athletics Wednesday evening.
Amed Rosario doubled in the top of the ninth against Michael Kelly (2-2), went to third thanks to Alex Jackson’s sacrifice and scored on Siri’s hit.
“It’s unreal (catching), and then it’s like the end of a storybook,” Rays starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot said.
Pete Fairbanks (1-2) survived the ninth after allowing a double to Miguel Andújar. He retired the next three batters on balls that all hit 102.3 mph or higher, including Zack Gelof’s 107.7 mph run to center that Siri pounced on.
Siri, through a translator, called his catch “pretty impressive.”
“I was very focused and never took my eyes off the ball,” he said.
Andújar hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and gave the Athletics a 2-1 lead with an infield RBI single in the sixth. He hit a three-run homer in Oakland’s 3-0 win over the Rays on Tuesday night.
Tampa Bay won for the second time in nine games. Oakland lost 17 of 23.
Max Schuemann was on second when JJ Bleday hit a single to left in the eighth and, after receiving the signal to try to score, stopped and returned to third when left fielder Randy Arozarena threw to home plate. When Jackson threw to second to retire Bleday, Schuemann broke for home plate and scored to tie Oakland at 3.
Isaac Paredes hit an RBI double in the seventh to give Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead.
Tampa Bay tied it at 2 on pinch hitter Jonathan Aranda’s single in the sixth inning. The inning ended when Arozarena was thrown out by Scott Alexander on a straight home steal attempt with Jackson, who is in an 0-for-25 slide, at bat.
“Arozarena is a really aggressive player,” Oakland manager Mark Kptsay said. “Luckily the dugout screamed loud enough for Scott to come down and he made a smart play of baseball.”
The Rays tied it at 1 on Brandon Lowe’s RBI triple in the fourth against Joey Estes.
Estes, in his fourth start this season and sixth overall, allowed one run and two hits in five innings.
“I thought he had some good stuff,” Kotsay said. “I think he played very well and gave us a chance to win the game.”
Pepiot allowed two runs, three hits and struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings.
The game was delayed about 10 minutes with one out in the fifth when home plate umpire Brian O’Nora left. O’Nora appeared to have cold symptoms early and was hit in the facemask by a foul ball in the fourth.
Second base umpire Derek Thomas replaced O’Nora at the plate.
TRAINERS ROOM
Athletics: 1B JD Davis, who left Tuesday night with a bruised hand after being hit by a pitch, did not play but avoided the injured list.
Rays: INF prospect Junior Caminero (quad strain) was placed on the IL by Triple-A Durham and is expected to miss four to six weeks.
FOLLOWING
A’s LHP Kyle Muller (0-1, 3.48 ERA) was scheduled to make his first start of the season Thursday after 13 relief appearances. Rays LHP Tyler Alexander (2-3, 6.06 ERA) was expected to start or follow an opener.
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