Tuesday, 4 a.m.
Most of the time, he is money.
Pete Fairbanks takes the mound, tall and dominant, and he throws fire. Eighteen times, he has been entrusted with a lead in the ninth inning. Most of the time, he has made it stand up.
But not Monday night.
Fairbanks had a 4-4 tie as he entered the ninth inning. Often, that means the Rays are in good shape. Before Monday, Fairbanks had had such a lead 17 times, and he had made 15 of them stand up. he has won three other times.
This time, the As beat him around in a 6-4 victory. Fairbanks gave up three hits and two runs in the ninth for his fourth blown save.
It spoiled a good night for the Rays’ bullpen, which went five innings of one-hit, shutout baseball until Fairbanks. But Fairbanks gave up a hit on his first pitch, and on his fourth. Lawrence Butler’s two-out triple scored both runs.
The Rays had threatened in the bottom of the eighth, but after two men were on, Junior Caminero hit into a double play. After that, reserve outfielder Colby Thomas threw out Brandon Lowe at the plate on Josh Lowe’s single to left.
The A’s had taken a 4-0 lead early, but the Rays tied in in the fourth. Caminero hit his 21st home run. Jonathan Aranda singled in a run and Jose Caballero bunted in another.
The A’s and Rays play again tonight at Steinbrenner Field at 7:05 p.m. Shane Baz will start for the Rays against ex-Ray Jeffrey Springs.