When the bats of the Oakland Athletics go to sleep, they really hibernate. On Wednesday afternoon, the A's lost their second straight game to the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 and lost the series after managing just one run in the final two games.

Matt Joyce hit a two-out RBI single in the top of the first to give the Rays a quick 1-0 lead. Ryan Roberts hit another two-out RBI single in the fourth inning to make it 2-0 Tampa Bay.

Brandon Inge led off the bottom of the fifth inning with his 12th home run of the year to cut the Rays lead in half, but Carlos Pena hit an RBI double in the sixth to make it 3-1 and followed that up with a solo home run in the top of the eighth for the extra insurance.

Tampa's pitchers held the A's to just five hits and one walk in the game. This is the first series the A's have lost since the All-Star Break.

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