Marcus Semien took the batter’s box with two outs and a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth — his American League-leading 17-game hitting streak on the line.
There would be no late-inning walk-off glow this time; Semien grounded out, ending his hitting streak and the A’s four-game winning streak to cap a 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night. It was an ending in keeping with the mood of the day following Frankie Montas’ 80-game PED suspension.
Here are three takeaways from the game.