Game Thread #24: A's at Rays

The Oakland A’s are back in the win column! After a one-day experiment with losing, the green-and-gold held on for a tight victory in their series opener on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Can they make it two in a row? They’ll send Frankie Montas to the mound to find out. The right-hander got rocked for six runs in his last outing against the Twins, but before that he was brilliant twice in quality starts against the Astros and Tigers. He faced the Rays in 2019 and tossed eight sparkling innings, allowing just a homer by a player who’s no longer there (Tommy Pham, now on Padres).

Oakland’s lineup will face Michael Wacha. The righty has a mediocre line so far this year and disastrous Statcast numbers, but he does have an NLCS MVP award in his distant past to go along with former Top 100 prospect stock, and he’s not quite age 30 yet, and this is the Rays, so let’s not bet against him suddenly becoming a star again.

A’s lineup (away)

1. LF Mark Canha (R)
2. 2B Jed Lowrie (S)
3. 1B Matt Olson (L)
4. CF Ramon Laureano (R)
5. DH Mitch Moreland (L)
6. C Sean Murphy (R)
7. RF Stephen Piscotty (R)
8. 3B Vimael Machin (L)
9. SS Elvis Andrus (R)

• LHP Frankie Montas

Chappy gets a day off, with Hittin’ Machin covering third base.

Rays lineup (home)

1. CF Kevin Kiermaier (L)
2. 2B Brandon Lowe (L)
3. LF Randy Arozarena (R)
4. DH Austin Meadows (L)
5. SS Joey Wendle (L)
6. 3B Yandy Diaz (R)
7. 1B Yoshi Tsutsugo (L)
8. C Francisco Mejia (S)
9. RF Brett Phillips (L)

• RHP Michael Wacha

Let’s Go Oakland!

How To Watch

• Date: Tuesday, April 27
• Time: 4:10 p.m. PT
• TV (local): NBC Sports California
• Radio: 960 AM (more listings here)
• Streaming (watch): NBCS website (with cable sub)
• Streaming (listen): A’s Cast