Bullpen fails Sonny Gray again, A's fall to Rays 5-4

OAKLAND - For the fifth time this season, Oakland ace Sonny Gray left the mound with a lead only to see it gone before he had a chance to relax in the clubhouse.

It’s been that kind of season for the Athletics and their All-Star pitcher.

Gray gave up three home runs for the first time in his career but was still in line to win until the Tampa Bay Rays rallied for two runs off Oakland’s bullpen to beat the A’s 5-4 on Saturday night.

It was Oakland’s 29th one-run loss this season - tops in the majors and the most by an A’s team since 1986.

“They’re tough, man,” Gray said. “We’re going to have to figure something out or it’s going to be a long month. We’ve just got to keep showing up and putting ourselves in good positions, and hopefully start pulling some of these close ones off.”

The A’s were poised to do that after Mark Canha and Josh Phegley each homered during a six-pitch span in the sixth to put Oakland up 4-2.

Gray, who was up and down in his second game since skipping a start due to back spasms, allowed five hits, walked two and struck out four. He left after retiring the final five batters he faced when A’s manager Bob Melvin called on switch-pitcher Pat Venditte to work the ninth.

Daniel Nava, a replacement after James Loney was ejected, drew a one-out walk against Venditte (0-2). Logan Forsythe followed with a double that moved pinch-runner Tim Beckham to third.

Asdrubal Cabrera, who hit a solo home run in the seventh, then lined the first pitch from Drew Pomeranz down the right field line to drive in Nava and Forsythe.

“That’s been a little bit of the theme for us this year is that we have played seven or eight good innings and we end up losing some games late,” Melvin said. “These one-run games that we’ve lost typically come a little bit later in games. It’s frustrating.”

Tampa Bay was 0-49 this season when trailing after eight innings before coming back to beat the A’s in this one.

John Jaso and Forsythe also homered for the Rays, who have won each of the first two games of this series by one run.

“I think we were able to battle through and give up eight pretty good innings and have a chance there at the end,” Gray said. “They hit some not-great pitches, but they swung the bat pretty well. I thought my stuff was pretty good. The hits they did get were just homers.”

The A’s - the worst fielding team in the majors - made several sparkling defensive plays. Still, Shortstop Marcus Semien made a backhanded stop and leaping throw to retire Jaso leading off the game, and center fielder Billy Burns robbed Forsythe of potential extra bases with a diving catch in the seventh.

Oakland dropped to an American League-worst 53-71.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: LHP Sean Doolittle was activated from the disabled list after missing 74 games with a strained left shoulder. ... RHP Dan Otero was optioned to Triple-A Nashville. ... 1B Ike Davis, who underwent surgery to repair a torn hip labrum on Friday, was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. UP NEXT

Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi (6-6) has been up and down this season but has fared very well against the AL West. He’s allowed only three earned runs in 29 2/3 innings for a 0.91 ERA.

Athletics: RHP Kendall Graveman (6-9) is winless in his previous seven starts and has a 6.89 ERA during that stretch