The Athletics’ trip through Florida ended with a thud Thursday afternoon, as Tampa Bay rolled to a 10-1 win in the series finale and completed the sweep. After two tight games to open the set, there was no suspense this time. The Rays controlled the day from start to finish, and the A’s left with one more road series still to come.
Jeffrey Springs got the ball against his former team in what is likely one of the final starts of his Athletics tenure, and he opened the afternoon with a little promise. The left-hander allowed just one hit the first time through the Rays’ order, but the game unraveled fast in the fourth. Tampa Bay sent six runs across in the inning, and Springs was gone after recording only one out in the frame.
Jeffrey Springs: 3 1/3 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 66 pitches
It was another rough outing for Springs, whose season ERA now sits at 6.18 through 28 starts. His final start in an Athletics uniform is scheduled for next week at home against the Angels.
The A’s offense had a difficult assignment on the other side in Drew Rasmussen, Tampa Bay’s co-ace, and he looked every bit the part. Rasmussen carved through the lineup over five innings, allowing just four hits and two walks while keeping the A’s mostly quiet. Their best chance came in the third, when a double-steal put runners at second and third with two outs, but Jeff McNeil couldn’t come through with the hit they needed.
Oakland did avoid the shutout, though. After Rasmussen exited at the end of the fifth, Lawrence Butler jumped on the first Rays reliever he saw and launched a leadoff homer to begin the sixth.
No shutout today! That was Butler’s 17th of the year and 20 home runs is definitely within reach.
That should be a personal goal for him in the final week-plus we have here in the 2026 season. He started the year slow but he’s sure ending it on a high note.
That was the A’s only real damage. They drew one more walk from Alika Williams, but Tampa Bay kept stacking runs anyway, adding two more in the sixth and another pair in the eighth to push the margin into double digits. The Rays only had seven hits, but they also drew nine walks, and that was plenty to bury Oakland.
The loss dropped the A’s to 61-92 as they head to Cleveland for their final road series of the season. With nine games left, they should be able to avoid 100 losses, but getting to 63 wins sooner rather than later would make life a lot easier. The Guardians are clinging to the AL Central lead by a thread, so this is a real chance for the A’s to play spoiler.
Oakland has not yet announced a starter for tomorrow, though right-hander Mason Barnett could be in line for one or two more looks in the final stretch. Cleveland will open with right-hander Daniel Espino as an opener, and the rest of their pitching plan will have to wait.
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The night only got better from there, with White piling up three hits and showing the same steady approach that has made his transition to the majors look increasingly natural. Even on a team still sorting through its young pieces, moments like this stand out because they hint at more than just a good game - they suggest a player starting to feel at home on a bigger stage. [Read more 🡒]