Smith The Difference In Pitcher's Duel In Oakland

The Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics engaged in a Memorial Day pitcher's duel, as both sides put up twelve consecutive scoreless innings before Mallex Smith's RBI single in the top of the 13th inning gave the Rays a 1-0 victory to get back to .500 on the season.

Both starters, Tampa Bay's Chris Archer and Oakland's Trevor Cahill, worked around a number of situations.  The Rays had situations in both the third and sixth innings against Cahill in which they got runners to second and third base on two-out rallies, but failed to score in either case.  For Archer, he worked around a two-out double in the fourth, and a bases loaded, one-out jam in the sixth in which he got Matt Olson to ground into a 6-5-3 double play.

Archer exited after six shutout inning, while Cahill blanked the Rays for eight frames.  Neither would fare in the decision.  Kevin Cash would go first to Sergio Romo, then Jose Alvarado to get into the ninth.  Matt Andriese followed three perfect innings of relief.

For Tampa Bay, Monday was about two-out rallies, as the team did not get wither of their first two hitters to reach safely at any point in the game.  The same can be said in the 13th inning, as Johnny Field reached against Chris Hatcher on a two-out infield hit.  Jesus Sucre singled Field to second and Smith's base hit brought in the only run of the game

Ryne Stanek (1-0) earned the win after working a scoreless 12th and getting the first two outs in the 13th, before Jonny Venters struck out Olson to end the game and earn his first save since August 22, 2011.

The shutout is Tampa Bay's first whitewashing of an opponent this season, leaving the Toronto Blue Jays as the only team yet to blank an opponent.

TUESDAY'S MATCHUP

Tampa Bay Rays (26-26) at Oakland Athletics (28-26), 10:05 p.m. first pitch, with coverage on WDAE beginning at 9:00 with The Inside Pitch presented by Crown Eurocars

Rays starter - LHP Blake Snell (6-3, 2.78 ERA)

Athletics starter - RHP Daniel Gossett (0-2, 6.28 ERA)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Wednesday - Rays at Athletics, 10:05 p.m. first pitch

Thursday - Rays at Athletics, 3:35 p.m. first pitch


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