OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Jed Lowrie put Oakland in front with an RBI double in the eighth inning Friday and the A's bounced back from a stunning loss to down Tampa Bay 4-3.
The Athletics fell to Detroit on Thursday after taking a three-run lead into the ninth inning and they let another lead slip away in this game when the Rays scored twice in the top of the eighth to forge a 3-3 tie.
With Tampa Bay starter David Price still in the game, Coco Crisp singled to lead off the bottom of the eighth.
Price was replaced by Joel Peralta, who retired Josh Donaldson on a grounder to shortstop. Crisp went to second on that play and then scored when Lowrie doubled to right.
The rest of the Oakland scoring came from Kurt Suzuki, who hit a three-run homer in the fifth.
Ryan Cook (6-3), who gave up two hits while Tampa Bay was tying the game in the eighth, emerged as the winning pitcher with his one inning of relief work. Grant Balfour survived a one-out walk in the ninth to collect his 34th save.
Price (8-6) was charged with all the Oakland runs, one of which was unearned, in seven-plus innings of work.
Oakland moved within two games of Texas for the lead in the American League West.
