A’s earn split in rare scheduled doubleheader

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Oakland Athletics had two of their best offensive games this season. Still, they might have lost both without another strong start by Sean Manaea.

Manaea won his fifth consecutive start to help the Athletics split a rare scheduled doubleheader with a 7-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night.

“Going on a streak like this is nice, and I’ve just got to keep it going and try to be consistent with how I go about my routine,” Manaea said.

Tampa Bay won the opener 6-5 on Evan Longoria’s RBI single in the 10th inning that completed a 3-hour, 56-minute game. Game 2 took 3:06.

The split came in the majors’ first scheduled doubleheader since 2011.

After getting a season-high 16 hits in the opener, Oakland got 16 again during Game 2.

Manaea (6-3) allowed two runs and six hits over seven innings. He was supported by home runs from Josh Phegley, Ryon Healy and Chad Pinder.

Longoria got his eighth career game-ending hit, but his first since a two-run homer against San Diego on May 11, 2013.

Longoria had two RBIs in the second game, coming on a firstinning RBI single and his 250th career homer in the sixth.

Yonder Alonso had four hits for Oakland in the nightcap and seven over the doubleheader.

“That’s a month’s worth of hits for some people,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.

Austin Pruitt (5-1) won in relief and Liam Hendriks (2-1) took the loss in the opener.

San Francisco Giants starter Jeff Samardzija fell to 2-8 on the year after allowing two home runs during Saturday’s loss to the Twins. Samardzija struck out six and walked one over six innings.

Oakland A’s pitcher Sean Manaea delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday during the second game of the majors’ first scheduled doubleheader since 2011.