The Tampa Bay Rays won the AL Wild Card game 5-1 once again putting the Oakland A's on the short end of the stick.
The Rays took the lead on the first batter of the game as Yandy Diaz took Sean Manaea deep quickly quieting the Oakland crowd. Manaea gave up a 2-run HR to Avisail Garcia in the 2nd and another solo shot to Diaz which prompted his exit in the 3rd. Tommy Pham homered off Yusmeiro Petit in the 6th.
Rays starter Charlie Morton didn't have his best stuff as none of his five innings were clean. But Morton got out of a bases loaded jam in the 1st and got inning ending double plays in the 2nd and the 5th. The only run Morton surrendered was an unearned run driven in via a sacrifice fly. Morton and relievers Diego Castillo, Nick Anderson and Emilio Pagan limited the A's to 8 hits - all singles. The A's actually outhit the Rays, but what counts are runs.
The Rays advance to the ALDS against the Houston Astros beginning Friday. The Astros are heavily favored, but they won't be taking the Rays lightly. The Rays won the season series 4-3. I think they will win this series as well.
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