Rays' Siri hits home run for second game in a row to take lead, A's lose 4-2

By Eric He
The Associated Press

OAKLAND – Jose Siri hit a late home run to take the lead for the second straight game and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Oakland Athletics 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Siri’s 423-footer to left that scored two runs in the seventh inning broke a 2-2 tie. The center fielder had gone hitless in 21 at-bats before hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning on Tuesday that scored the game’s only run in the Rays’ 1-0 victory. He scored 2 of 4 runs on Wednesday.

The Rays have won five of six games, while the A’s have lost two games in a row for only the second time since the All-Star break.

Rays starter Ryan Pepiot (7-5), who celebrated his 27th birthday on Wednesday, allowed two runs on three hits in six innings. It was his second start since returning from a stint on the injured list following a spider bite and a knee infection that led to a hospitalization. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in seven consecutive starts.

Manuel Rodríguez recorded his first save of the season and Drew Rasmussen struck out Oakland’s Brent Rooker in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and two outs.

Tampa Bay scored twice in the fifth inning, taking the lead on a two-out RBI double by Yandy Díaz. Díaz singled home Jonny DeLuca, who stole second base after tying the game on a fielder’s choice groundout. José Caballero and Siri opened the inning with hits.

JJ Bleday gave the A’s an early lead with a solo home run in the first inning, and Rooker hit an RBI single in the sixth inning to tie the game at 2-2.

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JJ Bleday (33) of the Oakland Athletics fails to catch a single by Jose Siri (22) of the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

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A’s starter Mitch Spence (7-9) allowed four runs in seven innings and had a career-high ten strikeouts in front of 10,339 spectators at the Coliseum.

A’s rookie right-hander JT Ginn, acquired from the Mets two years ago in the Chris Bassitt deal, made his major league debut by throwing two scoreless innings before striking out the team in the eighth inning.

Rays’ Siri hits home run for second game in a row to take lead, A’s lose 4-2

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