ST. PETERSBURG -- The A's waited 10 innings and nearly three hours, but Friday they may have finally dealt a final blow to the Rays' slim playoff hopes.
Khris Davis, maybe the best power hitter in baseball, stepped the plate to start the 10th inning. Jaime Schultz, Tampa Bay's ninth pitcher of the game, toed the rubber. And on the third pitch of the at-bat, the outfielder blasted a go-ahead solo home run to center field, giving Oakland a 2-1 lead and eventually a 10-inning victory at Tropicana Field.
The homer, which gave Davis sole possession of the Major League lead, helped the A's stretch their lead on the Rays for the second Wild Card spot up to nine games with only 16 to play.