There are nights you blown out. There are nights that slip away on a late error. They are nights when an umpire’s call goes the wrong way or a ball bounces strangely or a fly ball is lost in the sun.
Then there are days such as Sunday, when the Tampa Bay Rays lost an especially painful game to the Oakland A’s.
Danny Valencia hit three home runs to lead the A’s to a 7-6 comeback win over the Rays, a loss that is sure to sting for a while.
โIt’s good that it only counts as one loss,โ said manager Kevin Cash. โThis one could feel like three or four.โ
The Rays blew a 5-1 lead at one point, and they blew a 6-5 lead in the ninth inning. Valencia was the main culprit. He had five home runs in the series.
The last one came on the first pitch he saw from Steve Geltz.
โHe just jumped on the first pitch,โ Geltz said. โI’ve got to make better pitches than that and be competitive.โ
Brandon Guyer had a big day himself, with two home runs and five RBI. Evan Longoria had a double and home run.
Matt Moore pitched five innings for the Rays, giving up seven hits and four earned runs.
The Rays have now hit 50 home runs on the season, but they remain last in the big leagues in runs scored and batting average.
Tampa Bay begins a three-game series tonight against Toronto when Drew Smyly pitches against J.A. Happ.
