OAKLAND, Calif. — Playing in front of their biggest — and easily most energized — home crowd of the season, the Oakland A’s remained the hottest team in baseball with a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.
The A’s won their seventh straight in front of an announced crowd of 27,759 — mostly fans mobilized by a “reverse boycott” event intended to protest owner John Fisher’s handling of the team and efforts to relocate to Las Vegas. Earlier in the day, the potential move to the desert came closer to reality when the Nevada state Senate voted 13-8 to approve up to $380 million in public money for a stadium on the Vegas strip, setting up a vote in the Assembly as soon as Wednesday that could virtually seal the deal.
Much of the crowd was alternating chants of “Let’s Go Oakland!” and “Sell the Team!” from Shintaro Fujinami’s first pitch of the game until reliever Trevor May ended the game by striking out Jose Siri. But the fans, many wearing green T-shirts with a message to Fisher to “Sell” the team across the front, remained standing and cheering long after the A’s descended into the clubhouse.
The A’s never led against the AL East-leading Rays until Ramon Laureano scored on pinch-hitter Carlos Pérez’s infield ground out broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning. Brent Rookier tied the score with a two-out RBI double in the seventh.
Rookie Hogan Harris took over for “opener” Fujinami in the second inning and allowed one run and four hits in seven innings for his second career win.
The A’s, who opened the season with the lowest payroll in baseball and have been stripped of most of their biggest stars in the past two seasons, have been on pace for one of the worst records in baseball history most of the season. But suddenly, they have the longest winning streak in the majors and have passed the Kansas City Royals as the team with the worst record in the majors.
The A’s entered the game dead last in the majors in home attendance, averaging 8,555. But, fueled by the fan protest, the Coliseum was rocking with playoff intensity. And, at least for the past week, the team has stood toe-to-toe with some of the best teams in the majors.
Oakland (19-50) has won two straight over Tampa Bay (at 48-22, the winningest team in the majors) and returned home after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers and winning two of three from the Pittsburgh Pirates — the NL Central’s top two teams. The A’s also ended May by winning two of three from the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves.
The only Tampa Bay run scored in the fourth when Siri doubled, took third on a flyball and scored on a single to left field by Manuel Margot.
May walked two batters in the ninth, but catcher Shea Langeliers threw out Randy Arozarena on a steal attempt before May struck out Siri for his third save of the season.
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