OAKLAND (AP) — C.J. Cron, Joey Wendle and Wilson Ramos hit consecutive home runs in the third inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Oakland Athletics 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Daniel Robertson also homered for the Rays, Matt Duffy added three hits hits and Blake Snell struck out seven over 5 2/3 innings for his third straight victory.
The Rays had been in a power slump with only two homers in their previous six games, both coming Sunday in a win over Baltimore. They quickly topped that with three big swings off Daniel Gossett (0-3) in the third.
After Gossett struck out the first two batters, Cron hit his 12th home run to left on a 1-1 pitch. Wendle, who spent the past two seasons in Oakland, connected on the sixth pitch for his second homer. Ramos hit his seventh home run three pitches later.
It’s the fourth time in franchise history that the Rays have hit three consecutive home runs and the first since Sept. 21, 2016.
Robertson homered in the eighth.
Jed Lowrie had two hits and an RBI for Oakland. The A’s have scored four runs or fewer in their last 13 home games.
One day after six pitchers combined for Tampa Bay’s first shutout of the season, the Rays got another strong outing from their starter and bullpen.
Snell (7-3) gave up two hits and an unearned run. The left-hander overcame two errors behind him and allowed only two runners past second base.
Jonny Venters, Jaime Schultz, Chaz Roe and Sergio Romo completed the five-hitter.
Schultz struck out the side in the seventh on 14 pitches in his major league debut. Romo allowed two runs in the ninth but got Marcus Semien to ground out for his first American League save.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: Designated hitter Khris Davis (strained right groin) will come off the disabled list when he becomes eligible Thursday, manager Bob Melvin confirmed. Melvin also said that RHP Paul Blackburn’s rehab stint will begin Thursday with Single-A Stockton.
UP NEXT
RHP Nathan Eovaldi (0-0, 0.00 ERA) returns to the majors Wednesday after undergoing a second Tommy John surgery and will make his first start since Aug. 10, 2016. Sean Manaea (5-5, 3.34 ERA) pitches for Oaklands. The left-hander has yielded four or more runs in each of his previous five starts.