OAKLAND, Calif. _ Over the course of the Rays' recent struggles, one thing that's been missing this month is the big inning. As a group, they haven't been able to string together hits to take control of a game.
In salvaging a series split here in Oakland, the Rays offense recorded a five-run fourth _ an inning that included seven straight hits _ that followed a three-run third in their 8-2 win over Oakland.
The Rays' 15 hits were just one shy of their season high. The eight runs were their most in nine games after averaging just 2.8 runs over their previous eight games.
With the win, the Rays (45-33) went into their only off day in a 34-day stretch with some much-needed good vibes as the boarded a plane to Minneapolis, the final stop of a grueling three-city, 10-game, 11-day road trip that's tested them in many ways.
The Rays entered the afternoon having lost nine of their last 12 and were 9-13 in the month of June.
Austin Meadows and Travis d'Arnaud drove in three runs a piece. Eight of the Rays' nine starters recorded hits, five of them logging multiple-hit games. Avisail Garcia and Joey Wendle had three hits each.
After removing bulk reliever Ryan Yarbrough one time through the Yankees order in his last appearance on Tuesday, Rays manager Kevin Cash allowed Yarbrough to work deeper into the game with a lead on Sunday.
And Yarbrough delivers, holding the A's to one run on five hits over six innings. For his second straight start, Yarbrough relied on his cutter and changeup, keeping the Oakland batters off balance.
d'Arnaud started the scoring for the Rays, taking a first-pitch delivery from A's starter Brett Anderson over the center field fence for a two-run homers. Garcia's two-out RBI double gave the Rays a 3-1 lead.
They then sent nine batters to the plate in the fourth, an inning that began with seven consecutive hits.
d'Arnaud's RBI single _ the fourth of the seven straight hits _ gave the Rays a 5-1 lead and chased Anderson from the game. Meadows also hit a three-run double two batters later.
