Game Thread #25: A’s vs. Rays

The A’s will look to avoid the series sweep against the Tampa Bay Rays on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon at the Coliseum.

It’s been a tough week for Oakland, as the team continues to sputter into May. The current 5-game losing streak is tough to swallow considering how close the A’s were to the win last night, but these guys fought to the end and showed heart in the face of a late 5-run deficit. The team has an off-day tomorrow, so they definitely don’t want to stew in a six-game losing streak for the next couple of days. Gotta have some urgency today.

Second baseman/left fielder Tony Kemp is back in the lineup and in the leadoff spot after a day off yesterday, while Kevin Smith, who had his first career home run with the A’s yesterday (a grand slam!), is back in the lineup and at short, giving Elvis Andrus a day off, only his third of the year. Smith is 5-for-12 with a home run since returning from the COVID list and has generally looked a lot more comfortable in the box compared to most of April. He’s one of the main players the A’s need to groom this year, so this is encouraging.

The rest of the lineup is what you’d come to expect at this point from manager Mark Kotsay. They’ll face off against former 2-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, who has gotten off to a solid start this season.

On the hill for the A’s is Frankie Montas. It’s been a bit of an up and down season for #FilthyFrankie so far, with a dud on Opening Day, following by three straight dominant starts and then another flop in his most recent start against Cleveland. Montas and the A’s will both be looking for a bounce back start this afternoon.

May the Fourth be with you, and our Oakland A’s today!

A’s lineup (home)

1. 2B Tony Kemp (L)
2. 3B Sheldon Neuse (R)
3. DH Jed Lowrie (S)
4. C Sean Murphy (R)
5. 1B Seth Brown (L)
6. RF Stephen Piscotty (R)
7. LF Chad Pinder (R)
8. SS Kevin Smith (R)
9. CF Cristian Pache (R)

• RHP Frankie Montas

Rays lineup (away)

1. 1B Yandy Diaz (R)
2. DH Wander Franco (S)
3. LF Randy Arozarena (R)
4. 2B Brandon Lowe (L)
5. RF Manuel Margot (R)
6. SS Taylor Walls (S)
7. C Mike Zunino (R)
8. 3B Isaac Paredes (R)
9. CF Brett Phillips (L)

• RHP Corey Kluber

How to watch/listen

• Date: Wednesday, May 4
• Time: 12:37 p.m. PT
• TV: NBC Sports California
• Radio: 960 AM
• Streaming (listen): A’s Cast