ST.
PETERSBURG
http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey ,
Fla. (AP) — Mike Fiers has found his groove and it’s been important for the
inconsistent Oakland Athletics.Fiers pitched six effective innings, Matt Olson
and Khris Davis hit consecutive homers, and the Athletics beat the Tampa Bay
Rays 4-3 on Tuesday night.Oakland, at 34-34, is three games behind Texas for the
second AL wild card.Article continues below ...“Obviously the record right now
doesn’t show how good we really are,” Fiers said. “It’s a long season. You can’t
look too far ahead or how far ahead some of the teams are ahead of us. We’ve got
to come play every day and just battle every day.”Fiers (6-3) allowed two runs
and three hits, and is 4-0 in seven starts beginning with his no-hitter against
Cincinnati on May 7.Liam Hendriks, Lou Trivino and Blake Treinen, who gave up
Willy Adames’ RBI single in the ninth en route to his 15th save, combined to
strike out six and complete the four-hitter.“We really haven’t hit our stride
yet,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s been a little of a fight and battle
for us to this point but I think at some point we’ll get past it.”Tommy Pham
homered for the Rays, who are 16 games over .500 despite an 18-15 record at
home.“Kind of quiet at the plate,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “We didn’t
do many things
wrong
Jason
Kipnis Jersey , we were just pitched really, really tough.”The Rays are
tied for first in the AL East with the New York Yankees, who split a day-night
doubleheader with the Mets.After Matt Chapman reached on shortstop Adames’
throwing error in the sixth, Olson hit a two-run homer and Davis then went deep
two pitches later off Emilio Pagan (1-1) as Oakland took a 4-2 lead.Pagan,
acquired by Tampa Bay from the Athletics in a three-team trade in December, had
allowed just one run over 19 innings in his previous 18 appearances.“No one
likes doing bad,” Pagan said. “Doesn’t make me any more upset than it would
anybody else.”Pham put the Rays up 1-0 on a first-inning homer. He had been 1
for 17 in five games since returning June 6 from lower right leg injury.Adames
walked with two outs in the fourth, went to third on Kevin Kiermaier’s single
and scored to make it 2-0 on a double steal.Oakland got to 2-1 on Chad Pinder’s
RBI single in the fifth.TRAINER’S ROOMAthletics: SS Marcus Semien played in his
150th consecutive game, dating to last June 28. “He’s as durable a player as
I’ve ever had, so at this point in time I don’t see a day off for him,” Melvin
said. Semien extended his hitting streak to nine games (16 for 39) after leading
off the game with a double.Rays: DH Austin Meadows finished his at-bat in the
eighth after fouling a ball off his lower right leg. Soreness in the leg will
likely keep him out of Wednesday’s lineup. … INF Joey Wendle (fractured right
wrist) could be back Thursday.STAYING PUTOakland RHP Tanner Anderson, who
allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings in his first major league start Monday, will
get another start. “He was
impressive
http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey ,”
Melvin said.IN THE FOLDThe Rays signed SS Greg Jones, who was taken 22nd overall
in this year’s draft. He hit .341 and stole 42 stolen bases for UNC
Wilmington.SPECIAL DELIVERYMelvin presented long-time director of team travel
Mickey Morabito with a birthday cake that featured a plane with stairs stuck in
the wing. Morabito arranged for a new plane Sunday when the original team
charter was damaged during a storm while Oakland was playing at Texas.UP
NEXTOakland LHP Brett Anderson (6-4) will face Rays RHP Yonny Chirinos (7-2)
opener in Wednesday’s series finale. CLEVELAND (AP) — The Boston Red Sox are
trying to make history. The Cleveland Indians keep getting in the way.And after
a highly competitive three-game series, the teams could see each other again
next month with even more at stake.Greg Allen singled with one out and the bases
loaded in the 11th inning and Cleveland defeated the Red Sox 4-3 on Sunday night
to deny Boston’s bid for a club-record 106th victory for the second straight
game.Allen singled through the left side on a 3-2 pitch from Robby Scott to give
Cleveland an 11th inning win for the second night in a row.“If that game was in
a couple of weeks, that’d be one for the ages,” manager Terry Francona said.
“It’s going to be a late night, but it was a fun game.”William Cuevas (0-2)
walked leadoff man Jose Ramirez, who moved to second on Rajai Davis‘ sacrifice.
Shortstop Tzu-Wei Lin, who replaced the injured Xander Bogaerts in the seventh,
booted Erik Gonzalez’s ground ball, sending Ramirez to third.Yandy Diaz, batting
for Yonder Alonso, was intentionally walked to load the bases and set the stage
for Allen’s winning hit. Michael Brantley’s bases-loaded single gave the AL
Central winners a 5-4 victory in the 11th on Saturday night.Allen raced toward
the outfield after he rounded first to avoid getting pounded by his teammates, a
strategy that was unsuccessful.“I don’t think there’s any getting away from
that
Larry
Doby Jersey ,” he said. “In a time like that, when it’s celebratory, I
really don’t want to get away from it. It was definitely fun.”Josh Tomlin (2-5)
pitched two scoreless innings for the Indians, who won the after a 7-5 loss
Friday.Mookie Betts homered and had four hits in his return to the lineup, but
the Red Sox will also have to wait at least one more day before wrapping the
home-field advantage throughout the postseason.Betts, who didn’t play Friday and
Saturday, hit his 31st homer in the fifth to tie the game after Cleveland scored
three times in the fourth. He had four hits, a three-run homer and five RBIs on
Thursday against the New York Yankees when Boston clinched the AL East.Betts,
who leads the majors with a .343 batting average, started the game with a double
off the wall in left. He singled in the third and doubled again in the
seventh.Betts played right field for the first time in a week. He’s been dealing
with soreness in his left side and was the DH twice last week.“Hitting was never
really the issue, it was just throwing,” Betts said. “Fortunately, I didn’t have
to many any long
throws
Bob
Feller Jersey , so today was a really good day.”Edwin Encarnacion got his
100th RBI of the season with a fourth-inning single, reaching the century mark
for the fourth straight year.Melky Cabrera’s two-run double off Steven Wright
put Cleveland ahead 3-2.Bogaerts was removed during his at-bat in the seventh
inning because of a sore left shoulder. He fouled off a pitch and was visited by
manager Alex Cora and a team trainer. Bogaerts walked to the dugout after a
lengthy conversation and is listed as day to day.“I felt a pinch after I took an
awkward swing, the last two swings actually,” he said. “It’s nothing now. I’m
fine. There’s nothing wrong.”Right-hander Hector Velazquez started for Boston
and gave up two runs in 3 1/3 innings.Cleveland starter Adam Plutko allowed
three runs in six innings.SLUMPINGRamirez went 0 for 3 and is batting .174 (12
for 69) with one home run this month.NEARING THE ENDBoston also fell one win
short of a club record for road victories with 51. The Red Sox finish with six
games at Fenway Park beginning Monday against Baltimore. Boston hosts the
Yankees for the final three games and will be at home to begin the Division
Series.“We need to get home,” Cora said. “We’re going to be home for two weeks
now, so it’s going to be fun.”Cleveland plays its final seven games on the road.
The Indians begin a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Monday
and play the last four in Kansas City.MOUND RETURNFrancona said Cody Allen will
pitch Monday in Chicago. Allen hasn’t been in a game since Cleveland clinched
the division Sept. 15 to rest in preparation for the postseason. He threw a
bullpen session Saturday.TRAINER’S ROOMIndians: C Roberto Perez was removed from
the game in the fifth with a bruised right shoulder.UP NEXTRed Sox: RHP Nathan
Eovaldi (5-7, 3.98 ERA) takes on Orioles RHP Dylan Bundy (8-15, 5.37 ERA) in the
three-game series opener in Boston.Indians: RHP Corey Kluber (19-7, 2.93 ERA)
goes for his career-high 20th win of the season. RHP Dylan Covey (5-13, 5.33
ERA) starts for the White Sox.