Jul 23, 2008 4:19 pm US/Pacific
A's Give Up Early Lead In Loss To Tampa Bay Rays
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) ―
James Shields allowed three runs pitching into the ninth inning, and Jonny Gomes and Ben Zobrist hit back-to-back homers to lead the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays past the Oakland Athletics, 4-3 on Wednesday.
Shields (9-6) gave up six hits and struck out seven in improving to 5-1 in his last six starts. Shields' bid for his fourth complete game of the season ended when Jack Cust doubled with one out in the ninth.
Troy Percival replaced Shields and got the final two outs for his 20th save in 22 chances. It's the 10th time in his career the right-hander has recorded at least 20 saves.
Tampa Bay is 40-16 at home this year. The Rays are one victory away from the franchise record of 41 home wins in a single season, set in 2004 and matched in 2006.
The Athletics have lost seven of eight
Gomes hit a two-run shot and Zobrist homered on the next pitch off Greg Smith in the fifth, giving the Rays a 3-2 lead. Gomes is just 6-for-42 over his last 24 games, but four of the hits have been homers.
Zobrist added an RBI single in the seventh that extended the Tampa Bay lead to 4-2.
Smith (5-9) allowed four runs and five hits in six-plus innings, dropping to 1-4 over his last six starts.
Emil Brown and Carlos Gonzalez hit consecutive solo homers in the second to put Oakland ahead 2-0. Brown added a sacrifice fly in the ninth off Percival.
Smith retired his first nine hitters before Akinori Iwamura singled to start the fourth. He then caught Iwamura leaning the wrong way at first for his 11th pickoff of the season.
Notes:@ Oakland 2B Mark Ellis (sore right shoulder) missed his second straight game. He expects to play Friday. ... Rays manager Joe Maddon said it's "more than likely" that SS Jason Bartlett (sprained right knee) will be activated from the 15-day DL on Thursday. ... Brown is 2-for-11, with both hits homers, off Shields. ... Zobrist, the No. 9 hitter, has hit all five of his homers this season in his last 16 games. ... Tampa Bay has won 13 of its past 14 series at home.
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