WEST SACRAMENTO -- The Rays know there are plenty of ways to win baseball games. During an incredible road trip that culminated in an 8-4 win over the A’s on Wednesday at Sutter Health Park, they got to try just about all of them.
Tampa Bay swept through the Rockies in Colorado, the Mariners in Seattle and the A’s in West Sacramento for a perfect 9-0 road trip -- the first unbeaten trip of three or more series in franchise history. The Rays finished their West Coast swing by dominating the struggling A’s, averaging 10 runs per game in a three-game series that saw a different method of victory in each contest.
Eighth-inning comeback on Monday? Check. Six home runs on Tuesday? Might as well. Two-out magic on Wednesday? You bet.
Tampa Bay jumped out to an early advantage in the series finale, taking a 3-0 lead by the third inning and responding with a four-run fourth after the A’s got two runs back in the bottom of the third. All four runs came with two outs, as Junior Caminero blooped an RBI single into left and Trade Deadline acquisition Liam Hicks delivered a three-run home run to break things open.
The Rays, whose lead in the American League East moved to 6 1/2 games over the Yankees with the victory, have not lost since Aug. 2 against the White Sox at Tropicana Field. Holding an AL-best 74-46 record, they’ll return home on Friday to start a four-game set against the Orioles.