Davis, Kennedy Homer To Power A's Past Rays
POSTED: 10:09 pm PDT July 11,
2009
St. Petersburg, FL -- (Sports Network) - Rajai Davis and Adam Kennedy hit two-run homers in the pivotal seventh inning, as Oakland staged a late rally to top Tampa Bay, 7-2, in the second of three contests from Tropicana Field."It was a pretty good pitch, it was down and in," said Davis of his homer. "I was fortunate enough to get the head on it, and it ended up in the seats." Orlando Cabrera finished 3-for-5 with two RBI for the Athletics, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Dallas Braden (7-7) got the win by scattering five hits and two runs with six strikeouts over six innings. Ben Zobrist and Gabe Kapler knocked in a run each for the Rays, who saw their four-game win streak halted. Matt Garza (6-7) was tagged in the loss for seven hits and three runs despite fanning seven with only one walk through 6 1/3 frames. Armed with a two-run lead, Garza allowed only four hits through six scoreless innings but Bobby Crosby reached on a single to start the seventh and Davis cranked a two-run homer to tie the game. Mark Ellis followed with a single and Garza yielded to Randy Choate, who served up a go-ahead, two-run blast by Kennedy. "It ran right into the one spot you don't want to throw AK (Kennedy)," Choate said of Kennedy's homer. "It was supposed to be a two-seamer down away, and it just ran from away to the perfect spot for him." The A's added three more runs in the eighth as Ellis plated Kurt Suzuki with a sacrifice fly and Cabrera knocked in a pair with a double. Brad Ziegler held the Rays off the board in the eighth then Andrew Bailey hurled a scoreless ninth. Kapler's RBI single in the second staked the Rays to an early lead, then Zobrist knocked in Eva Longoria with a base hit in the sixth. Game Notes Oakland leads the season series, 5-4...Both teams wore uniforms from the 1990's which will be auctioned off later in the month to benefit a local cancer center...Prior to the game, the A's dealt infielder Jack Hannahan to Seattle for minor league pitcher Justin Souza, activated Braden from the bereavement list and optioned pitcher Jeff Gray to Triple-A Sacramento...A's first baseman Jason Giambi left in the fifth inning with a bruised right elbow.
Copyright 2009 Courtesy of The Sports Network.









