A's Use Long Ball To Split Doubleheader in Tampa
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Oakland Athletics had two of their best offensive games this season. Still, they might have lost both without another strong start by Sean Manaea.
Manaea won his fifth consecutive start to help the Athletics split a rare scheduled doubleheader with a 7-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night.
"Going on a streak like this is nice, and I've just got to keep it going and try to be consistent with how I go about my routine," Manaea said.
Tampa Bay won the opener 6-5 on Evan Longoria's RBI single in the 10th inning that completed a 3-hour, 56-minute game. Game 2 took 3:06.
"It's a long day," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Sweeping a doubleheader in this league is really difficult to do."
The split came in the majors' first scheduled doubleheader since 2011.
After getting a season-high 16 hits in the opener, Oakland got 16 again during Game 2.
Manaea (6-3) allowed two runs and six hits over seven innings. He was supported by home runs from Josh Phegley, Ryon Healy and Chad Pinder.
Longoria got his eighth career game-ending hit, but his first since a two-run homer against San Diego on May 11, 2013.
"We didn't need more extra innings in a game like that today," Longoria said. "It's been quite a while since I've gotten a walk-off hit. It felt good."
Longoria had two RBIs in the second game, coming on a first-inning RBI single and his 250th career homer in the sixth.
"Evan's not anywhere close to stopping," Cash said.
Yonder Alonso had four hits for Oakland in the nightcap and seven over the doubleheader.
"That's a month's worth of hits for some people," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.
Austin Pruitt (5-1) won in relief and Liam Hendriks (2-1) took the loss in the opener.
Oakland Game 1 starter Sonny Gray struck out 10 while giving up five runs, only two of them earned, in six innings.
Rays Game 2 starter Matt Andriese lasted one inning before departing with a groin strain, the same injury that put him on the 10-day disabled list May 31.
Andriese will have an MRI on Sunday and expects to go back on the DL.
"Very frustrating," he said.
Chih-Wei Hu (0-1) replaced Andriese and gave up one run — Phegley's shot in the second — over four innings.
Healy had a solo drive and Pinder hit a two-run shot off Ryne Stanek that made it 6-2 in the seventh.
DOUBLE DIP
The last regularly scheduled doubleheader in the majors was on July 11, 2011, when the A's hosted the Angels. This was the second doubleheader at Tropicana Field — the other was Sept. 30, 2004, when two games against the Detroit Tigers had to be rescheduled because of Hurricane Frances.
OLD DAYS
The Rays wore 1970s style uniforms in Game 1 as part of a "Turn Back the Clock" promotion. 1973 AL All-Star Bill "Spaceman" Lee threw the ceremonial first pitch while in full uniform, and an on-field banner parade took place between games. There was a video tribute to Adam West, TV's Batman, who died Friday night at 88.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: LHP Sean Doolittle returned from a left shoulder strain and had a perfect eighth in Game 2. ... RHP Andrew Triggs was put on the disabled list with a strained left hip after giving up eight runs in 3 2/3 innings Friday night.
Rays: C Wilson Ramos (torn ACL) may soon have his rehab upgraded from Class A Charlotte to Triple-A Durham.
UP NEXT
RHP Jesse Hahn (2-4) will pitch the series finale for Oakland on Sunday against Tampa Bay RHP Chris Archer (4-4).
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