Sometimes in baseball you just have to tip your cap, and tonight the Rays found themselves tipping their cap to the A’s in the third base dugout. Both starters were solid, bullpens sharp (for the most part), and the offenses traded blows. Eventually, the A’s did just enough to leave with the victory and series win with still one game remaining. For the Rays, who entered the game in second place just a half game out of first, they finished the night in third place and 1.5 games out.
The recent skid that has now stretched to three consecutive losses and a 5-5 record over their last ten games, comes on the heels of a fantastic month of June that saw them turn their season around.