Rays Edge A's On Sunday, Taking 3 Of 4
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Mallex Smith had three hits and used his speed to set up the go-ahead run and the Tampa Bay Rays took three of four from the Oakland Athletics with a 5-4 victory Sunday.
Smith had a bunt single leading off the seventh and went to third after reliever Daniel Coulombe (0-1) was charged with an error for an errant throw to first that ended up in the right-field corner. Tampa Bay went ahead 5-4 when Corey Dickerson hit a sacrifice fly on the next pitch.
Smith, recalled from Triple-A Durham on Friday to fill in for injured Gold Glove center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, also walked and went 8 for 14 in the series.
Kiermaier is expected to miss at least two months with a broken right hip.
Chase Whitley (2-1) replaced Chris Archer in the top of seventh and worked out of a two-on, no-out jam. Oakland loaded the bases with one out in the ninth before Alex Colome retired Jed Lowrie and Khris Davis for his 18th save.
Stephen Vogt had three RBIs for Oakland, which has lost eight consecutive road series. The previous time the Athletics had a worst stretch was in 1986 when they dropped nine in a row.
Davis drove in a run with a single in the sixth to put Oakland 4-3, but Colby Rasmus pulled Tampa Bay even in the bottom of the inning with a solo homer.
Vogt had a two-run single in the second and made it 3-0 with a fourth-inning RBI double.
After striking out his first two batters in the fifth, Jesse Hahn allowed five consecutive hits as Tampa Bay tied it at 3.
Smith and Dickerson had consecutive run-scoring doubles before Evan Longoria hit an RBI single.
Hahn, winless in his past 10 road starts, allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings.
Archer gave up four runs and seven hits over six innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
A's: RHP Kendall Graveman (right shoulder) resumed playing catch. ... INF Marcus Semien (right wrist) is hitting soft toss.
UP NEXT
A's: RHP Jharel Cotton (3-6), 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA in his past three starts, goes against Miami RHP Jose Urena (4-2) Tuesday night. RHP Daniel Gossett will be recalled from Triple-A Nashville to start Wednesday's game with the Marlins.
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