Tim Beckham‘s three-run homer capped a five-run inning for Tampa Bay and rookie Jake Faria pitched into the eighth inning Tuesday night to help the Rays snap a five-game losing streak with a 5-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Faria (5-1) posted his eighth quality start in nine starts, giving up three runs and seven hits while striking out five in 7 1/3 innings.
The Rays will enjoy an off day on Thursday after traveling back from the Pacific Time Zone. Their most recent road trip ended on a couple of sour notes, but there is plenty to be pleased about. Tampa Bay lost the final game in Oakland on Wednesday, Jake Faria lost his first game as a Rays starter, and Steven Souza, Jr. suffered a hip injury. But the good far outweighs the bad.
Sonny Gray struck out six pitching into the seventh in what might have been his final home start in Oakland if the club tries to deal him before the trade deadline, and the Athletics rallied in the fifth inning to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-2 on Wednesday. Matt Joyce hit a towering homer to the right-field seats in the eighth for Oakland. Rajai Davis doubled home Oakland’s first run in the fifth then Joyce followed with a tying sacrifice fly before Davis scurried home…
Tampa Bay hasn’t been so close to first place this late in the season since 2013, and Rays manager Kevin Cash wants his players to soak it up and enjoy every minute of it. The roar that emerged from the clubhouse following Tampa Bay’s ninth-inning comeback was proof that the Rays are doing just that.
Jake Faria had about 200 friends and family members in the stands to watch him pitch for the Tampa Bay Rays in a stadium five minutes from his childhood home. The rest of the Big A crowd had its eyes squarely on Mike Trout in his return from a 39-game injury absence. Faria and Trout both had solid performances before Brad Miller took care of another win for the Rays.
The Tampa Bay Rays begin the second half of the season on Friday when they kick off a six-game road trip in the Pacific Time Zone. They hope to continue their momentum after winning 6 of their last 9 games heading into the all-star break, including taking three of four from the Boston Red Sox.
Wilson Ramos homered and drove in three against Chris Sale despite the All-Star’s record-setting performance, rookie Jake Faria remained unbeaten and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 on Thursday night. Sale (11-4) struck out 12 while giving up four runs and seven hits in seven innings. He became the first Red Sox pitcher to strike out 10 or more in 12 games before the All-Star break, surpassing the 11 games of Pedro Martinez in 1999. Ramos hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning…