The Sports Xchange
Jun 9, 2017
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays slugged five home runs en route to a 13-4 rout of the Oakland Athletics on Friday night at Tropicana Field.
Steven Souza Jr., Tim Beckham, Logan Morrison, Corey Dickerson and Mallex Smith each hit homers while Rays starter Alex Cobb (5-5) gave up one run over six innings to help the Rays improve to 32-31.
Athletics starter Andrew Triggs (5-6) lost his fourth consecutive start.
Stephen Vogt homered for Oakland (26-34) while Khris Davis and Adam Rosales each had RBI hits.
The Rays, who hit four home runs Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, continued using the long ball Friday to get to Triggs early and often.
Steven Souza Jr. gave the Rays a 3-0 lead with a three-run shot in the first inning.
Tampa Bay added runs in the second and third innings to make it 5-0. Jesus Sucre had an RBI double in the second while Colby Rasmus knocked an RBI single in the third.
Smith, called up from Triple-A Durham on Friday afternoon, hit his first home run of the season -- a two-run blast to right field in the fourth. Morrison made it 8-0 with a solo homer to right later in the inning.
Triggs gave up eight runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings. He threw 88 pitches, 54 for strikes.
Athletics reliever Zach Neal didn't fare any better as the Rays tagged him for five runs in the fifth. Beckham hit a solo shot to straight-away center, his 10th of the season. Dickerson added a three-run homer in the inning while Sucre had his second RBI hit of the game to make it 13-0.
NOTES: Rays OF Kevin Kiermaier was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right hip fracture. Kiermaier, a two-time Gold Glove winner, will need six to eight weeks before he can resume baseball activities. OF Mallex Smith was called up from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. ... Athletics OF Mark Canha was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Friday. ... The Rays placed 1B Rickie Weeks (right shoulder impingement) on the 10-day DL retroactive to June 7. ... Athletics LF Jaycob Brugman was called up from Nashville and made his MLB debut Friday, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout. ... The Rays acquired INF Taylor Featherston from the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations.