Jacob Lopez struck out nine in seven scoreless innings to help the Athletics record a 6-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
Lawrence Butler and Colby Thomas each had two hits and two RBIs for the Athletics, who won for the 12th time in their past 18 games. Tyler Soderstrom had two hits and scored twice for the A’s.
Lopez (6-6) gave up four hits and walked none during his fourth consecutive scoreless effort. The rookie left-hander has allowed just 14 hits in 24 innings during that stretch.
Brandon Lowe had two hits for the Rays, who lost for the 16th time in the past 22 games. Tampa Bay was blanked for the 11th time this season.
Rays starter Shane Baz (8-9) allowed five runs (four earned) and six hits over seven innings. He struck out seven and walked two while dropping to 0-6 over his past eight starts.
Justin Sterner pitched a perfect eighth inning for the Athletics. Tyler Ferguson walked two in the ninth before retiring Junior Caminero on a fielder’s choice and striking out Everson Pereira to end it. Pereira fanned in all four of his at-bats.
The Athletics’ Nick Kurtz went 0-for-4 and struck out three times as his streak of reaching base ended at 26 games.
The A’s struck in the second inning as Soderstrom led off with a single and scored on Thomas’ double into the gap in left-center.
The hosts tacked on three runs in the fourth. Brent Rooker was hit in the bill of the helmet by a pitch to start the frame, and he moved to third on Soderstrom’s double.
Thomas followed with a sacrifice fly to right to score Rooker. One out later, Butler doubled inside the left field line to score Soderstrom.
Tampa Bay appeared to get out of the inning when Luis Urias hit a popup in the infield. Catcher Nick Fortes wasn’t called off and he dropped the ball as Butler scored to make it 4-0.
The Athletics added on in the fifth as Langeliers hit a one-out double and was later at third with two outs when Baz threw a wild pitch over the reach of Fortes. Langeliers beat the throw to the plate for a five-run lead.
In the eighth, Thomas singled with one out and stole second. After Darell Hernaiz walked, Butler delivered an RBI single off Mason Montgomery.
–Field Level Media
