Margot the spark as Rays bounce back

OAKLAND -- The last two nights, the Rays didn’t look quite like themselves. Their bats went quiet. Their pitching occasionally faltered. They lost consecutive one-run games to an A’s club that entered the week with the Majors’ worst record.

But Tampa Bay returned to form and snapped Oakland’s seven-game winning streak with a 6-3 victory on Wednesday night at the Coliseum, displaying one of the key traits that has made them baseball’s best team: Their slumps never last long.

The Rays (49-22) have lost back-to-back games seven times this season, but they remain the only team in the Majors without a three-game losing streak.

“We have such a talented team. I think the better the team, the lower the chances of losing three in a row,” starter Tyler Glasnow said. “I know it's a basic answer, but I think we're just so good and consistent -- and it's awesome to be a part of a team like that.”

Wednesday’s bounce-back was, fittingly, a team effort.

Glasnow gave up a three-run homer to JJ Bleday in the second inning but nothing after that. Reliever Ryan Thompson recorded arguably the biggest outs of the game in the sixth. Manuel Margot led the way offensively with a career-high three doubles, while leadoff man Yandy Díaz went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Limited to only four runs on 12-for-63 hitting while losing the first two games of the series, the Rays racked up 13 hits in the third game. They scored first against right-hander Luis Medina, got the big inning they’d been seeking with a three-run fifth that erased the A’s two-run lead, and added on late in the game.

“It’s just something that happens in this game,” said Margot, who scored three runs and drove in another, through interpreter Manny Navarro. “It’s our job to make the adjustment, and that’s what we did today.”

After running themselves out of a rally and into a pair of outs in the first inning, the Rays struck first an inning later as Randy Arozarena walked, moved to third on an Isaac Paredes double and scored on Christian Bethancourt's sacrifice fly. Oakland answered back with a three-run homer by Bleday off Glasnow, the only runs he allowed in his 5 1/3-inning outing.

Glasnow said he dealt with some cramping in his hands, which made it difficult to grip the ball, but called the issue “nothing serious.” He gritted through the outing despite feeling like his delivery was out of sync and his fastball was “super off.”

“Not the sharpest tonight, but I guess I'll give myself credit for battling,” Glasnow said. “The slider got me through today, for sure. It was like the only pitch that was really reliable for me.”

Most importantly, Glasnow gave the Rays a chance to come back, which they did in the fifth.

Taylor Walls singled, stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw by A’s catcher Shea Langeliers. Margot then ripped an RBI double to left-center and came around to score on a double to left by Díaz, who was hitless in the first two games of the series.

Josh Lowe broke the 3-3 tie with an RBI single to right off lefty reliever Sam Moll.

The A’s then loaded the bases against Glasnow with one out in the sixth on a single and two walks. With the right-hander’s pitch count at 94 and Aledmys Díaz coming to the plate, manager Kevin Cash summoned Thompson to get out of the jam.

Thompson did exactly that, quickly inducing an inning-ending double play to preserve the Rays’ one-run lead then pitching a clean seventh.

“When he's good, he's in the zone and putting the ball on the ground,” Cash said. “Fortunately for us, our defense was really good behind him and got two big outs.”

“We have one of the best defenses in the league, but also that we've had in the last couple of years,” added Thompson. “We're unbelievable out there, so I just want to make them work.”

Margot helped give the Rays a little breathing room after that. Tampa Bay’s No. 9 hitter reached on a leadoff double in the seventh, moved up 90 feet when reliever Lucas Erceg’s pickoff throw sailed into center field, and scored on a wild pitch.

Margot hit his third double in the ninth -- exit velocities: 107.6, 106.6 and 101.4 mph -- and scored on another single by Díaz.

“Manny had a tremendous night. Picked us up in so many ways, really drove the ball well,” Cash said. “It seemed like everything he hit was hard.”