The Rays took 2 of 3 in Oakland, and coupled with the Yankees dropping 2 of 3 they're back within one game of New York in the East and sit in the first wild card spot.
Slade Cecconi pitched well in his return to the rotation but the weak link of the team, the bullpen, let things get away as the Rays dropped the opener at Oakland 7-4 to make it 3 straight losses. Cecconi was 6 6 2 2 1 3 and left trailing only 2-1 but a 4-run 8th for Oakland put the game away.
Andrew Greckel, who had driven in the first run, had a 3-run shot in the 9th (#15) to make the final more respectable.
No run support issues for
James Hays today as he was staked to an 8-0 lead by the third inning as the Rays routed the A's 14-2 to even up the series. It was bombs away as
Alex Kirilloff got things going in the 1st with a 2-run blast (#8),
Kelly Crumpton followed with the first of his two homers with a man on in the 2nd, and
Ed Howard hooked one inside the LF fair pole with two men on for his 3rd in the 3rd. Crumpton launched another 2-run shot in the 6th to give him 8 on the year and his first career MLB 2-HR game. Hays meanwhile was his usual overpowering self at 6 4 1 1 0 11 as he's now 4-3, 2.33 as a Ray and his insane BB/K ratio got even crazier at 4/83 in 58 IP with the Rays and 5/103 in 77 IP overall this year. I've not quite seen anything like that.
The story in the finale was
Dustin May as the veteran righty tossed a 5-hit shutout in a 6-0 Rays win. He was an outstanding 9 4 0 0 1 9 on 122 pitches in the gem and improved to 8-1, 2.70 on the year, with his 8 wins leading the league and only two fewer he had in all of 2026 when he didn't get any run support. That's not a problem for him this year as today
Kody Hoese was 3-4 with an RBI,
Adley Rutschman had a 2-run HR (#8) and
Angelo DiSpigna ripped a 2-run double.
Team record: 32-25. Next up: Back home for 3 vs Seattle.
The next morning the following news came down from the league office as May was the AL Pitcher of the Month for....May:
