Rays pull out 13inning win over A’s

OAKLAND — The long trip back to the West Coast and then the long afternoon of work Monday were worth it for the Rays as they scored a 1-0, 13-inning win over the A’s.

After logging four hits in the first six innings, the Rays went without until the 13th — and then with two outs they got three in a row.

Johnny Field started it with an infield single, Jesus Sucre followed with a single and then Mallex Smith, only in the leadoff spot due to a pregame injury that forced Brad Miller from the lineup, delivered the game’s only run.

Ryne Stanek, so impressive as the “opener” on Saturday, worked out of a jam in the 12th and then got them two outs into the 13th, navigating around a one-out walk, before Jonny Venters finished for his first save since 2011.

The Rays also got back to .500, at 26-26, for the second time in the last 10 days, an achievement after that 4-13 start.

The game matched the second longest 1-0 decision in Rays history.

They got a solid start from Chris Archer but not much offense, with only six hits total — four through the first six innings and not another until the 13th.

The challenge was magnified by the schedule makers, who had the Rays playing in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Sunday and then flying crosscountry for a holiday day game in Oakland on Monday.

The Rays did well to escape the ninth after Jed Lowrie led off with a right-field wall clanging double off Jose Alvarado, who was working in his third inning in relief of Sergio Romo, who replaced starter Chris Archer after his six strong innings.

After Alvarado walked Matt Olson, he was replaced by Matt Andriese. Catcher Jesus Sucre lent a hand with a great play on a Chad Pinder bunt, firing to third to nab the Lowrie as the lead runner, good enough to stand up to a replay challenge. Then Andriese did the rest, getting Matt Chapman to pop up and Stephen Piscotty looking at a strike three changeup.

The Rays had a couple of early chances against Oakland starter Trevor Cahill, who was impressive.

Sucre singled with two outs in the third for their first hit and Mallex Smith followed with a double, but C.J. Cron struck out. Then Cron singled and Joey Wendle, playing against his former A’s mates, doubled (and tripped rounding first), but Matt Duffy grounded out.

Archer gave the Rays a strong, but somewhat abbreviated start, pulled after working six scoreless innings that took 88 pitches to complete. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out seven, using a sharp slider impressively.

The sixth inning was his most challenging, as he allowed back-to-back walks to load the bases as part of a 20pitch frame, though escaped unscathed.

Jonathan Lucroy started it with an infield single, then with one out Archer walked Marcus Semien on four pitches and Lowrie on six. But he escaped when shortstop Daniel Robertson, playing in short right in the shift against Matt Olson, fielded a grounder to start a double play and Wendle did a good job hanging tough to turn it.

The Rays and A’s play the second of the four games on Tuesday with Blake Snell taking on Oakland’s Daniel Gossett.