 retired five batters to win and Venters struck out Matt Olson with the tying run on base for his first save since 2011. Venters missed five seasons due to four major elbow surgeries, including three Tommy John operations, before returning to the big leagues this year.The Rays have won four of five.Chris Hatcher (3-2) retired the first two Tampa Bay hitters in the 13th before Johnny Field reached on an infield single to shortstop. Jesus Sucre followed with a single to move Fields to second before Smith blooped a 2-0 pitch to right-center.The A's and Rays wasted multiple scoring opportunities before Smith knocked in the only run of the game.Tampa Bay had runners at second and third with two outs in the third and again in the sixth but didn't score. The Rays also got Carlos Gomez to second with two out in the 10th, but Field struck out swinging.Oakland came up empty after loading the bases with one out in the sixth, then failed to score after getting the first two batters on in the ninth.The Rays got a big lift from their bullpen on a day when both starting pitchers were stellar.Archer was sharp, striking out seven and walking two. Archer has allowed two runs or fewer in five of his last six starts.Sergio Romo retired two batters, Jose Alvarado pitched 1 1/3 innings and Matt Andriese worked three scoreless frames for the Rays.Oakland starter Trevor Cahill pitched four-hit ball, didn't walk a batter and had six strikeouts over eight innings, his outing since going eight against Texas on May 27, 2013 while still with Arizona.TRAINER'S ROOMRays: RHP Yonny Chirinos (right forearms strain) will make a second rehab start with Triple-A Durham on Tuesday.Athletics: Designated hitter Khris Davis continues to make steady progress in his recovery from a strained right groin. ''His agility looks great,'' manager Bob Melvin said. ''I'm encouraged.'' Davis is eligible to come off the disabled list Thursday. ... CF Boog Powell (sprained right knee) has been feeling better the past few days, Melvin said.UP NEXTLHP Blake Snell (6-3, 2.78 ERA) pitches for Tampa Bay on Tuesday and is winless in two career starts against Oakland. Snell has allowed two runs or fewer in nine starts overall this season, tied for second in the majors. RHP Daniel Gossett (0-2, 6.28) takes the mound for the A's.---More baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball)
After bullpen day, Rays turn to Archer vs. A's 3h ago• 3 min read OAKLAND, Calif. -- It appears Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin will have to wait until at least Thursday to get his wish to witness first-hand the strategy of rival Kevin Cash when the Tampa Bay Rays visit for a four-game series that begins Monday afternoon.Rays ace Chris Archer (3-3, 4.68) is scheduled to get the ball in the series opener against A's right-hander Trevor Cahill (1-2, 2.75), who was scratched from his Sunday start to get an extra day of rest.Archer is pitching one day after Cash gave career-long reliever Sergio Romo his fourth consecutive start -- his second in three days - a strategy that's seen him use part-time starters Ryan Yarbrough, Matt Andriese and Anthony Banda in relief.The Rays have won just two of Romo's four starts, including 8-3 Sunday over Baltimore in a game in which the Orioles roughed up the right-hander for all three of their runs in the first inning.But Cash switched to a left-hander by the end of the first inning and benefited when the Orioles were shut out by Vidal Nuno for three innings while the Rays rallied into a 7-3 lead.Then, just when the Orioles were getting comfortable with the left-hander, Cash went back to a righty for the final 5 2/3 innings, watching Austin Pruitt limit Baltimore to just three more hits and no runs the rest of the way while getting the save.Afterward, Cash felt like anything but a genius, crediting his offense for bailing him out."It was needed, especially the way the game started out," he said of a six-run third inning. "I don't think anybody was in too good of a mood after the first inning. We didn't match up the way we wanted to. We walked a couple guys that we didn't want to and got down behind 3-0."But credit to our guys to find a way to ultimately tie it and take the lead after that.'' Romo, who spent most of his career across the San Francisco Bay with the Giants, is a possibility for Thursday, when Cash has yet to decide what he's going to do.He has listed Archer, Blake Snell and Nathan Eovaldi as his starters in the first three games of the series.Melvin broached the subject of starting relief pitchers when he gave minor-league call-up Josh Lucas an emergency start Thursday against Seattle.It didn't go well.In his first start at any level since 2013, Lucas allowed three hits and three walks in two innings, giving up two runs.But as with the Rays on Sunday, the result wound up being a good one, as the A's tagged Felix Hernandez for four runs in the first inning and made them stand up for 4-3 win thanks to the seven-inning, one-run relief of four pitchers.Asked at the time if he thought Cash's concept might catch on, Melvin said he'd have to see it with his own eyes to believe it was actually a potentially successful strategy.One reason it has worked some for the Rays is that Archer can be an innings-eater on the day after Romo's start has taxed the staff. The two-time All-Star has pitched into the seventh inning in three of his last four starts.Archer is 1-0 with a 3.97 ERA in two career starts against the A's. He has never pitched in Oakland.Cahill, meanwhile, is 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in five career meetings with the Rays, including four starts.He will be pitching on five days' rest for the fifth time this season. He has not pitched on less rest this year.
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