ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ With the season winding down, the opportunities for the A's to gain ground on the New York Yankees become of great importance. This one was wasted.
After coming back late to tie the game, Jeurys Familia surrendered a three-run home run to struggling Rays first baseman Jake Baers in the eighth inning of Saturday's 7-5 loss, keeping the A's 1{ games back of the Yankees for the top AL wild-card spot with 13 remaining.
A's manager Bob Melvin wasn't around to see the crucial blow from Bauers, tossed just before the inning began after frustration that had mounted with home plate umpire Larry Vanover over the strike zone. Melvin's frustrations reached a boiling point when a pitch from Vidal Nuno to Marcus Semien appeared to be well out of the strike zone, but was called strike three for the second out of the eighth with the bases loaded.
Semien had argued with Vanover as he walked back to the dugout, and Melvin stuck up for his shortstop by continuing it after Mark Canha grounded into a force out to end the threat as the A's stranded the bases loaded. It was the 19th time Melvin has been tossed in his 15-year big league career, and second time this season.
Matt Chapman hit a solo home run off Sergio Romo in the ninth, but the A's deficit was ultimately too large to overcome.
