Cabrera hits tiebreaking RBI single in 4-run seventh as Oakland beats Tampa Bay 7-3

Cabrera lifts Oakland past Tampa Bay

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Orlando Cabrera hit a tiebreaking RBI single in Oakland’s four-run seventh, leading the Athletics to a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Kurt Suzuki and pinch-hitter Jack Cust each singled in a run and Mark Ellis drove in Landon Powell with a groundout to set up Cabrera’s hit off Chad Bradford.

Suzuki and Ryan Sweeney tacked on RBI singles in the eighth and Ellis connected in the ninth to make it 7-3.

Oakland starter Brett Anderson left after four scoreless innings. There was no immediate word on why he departed. The left-hander, coming off a two-hitter in a 6-0 win over Boston Monday, gave up three hits.

Michael Wuertz (5-1) got the win despite allowing a run and three hits in 1 1-3 innings and Andrew Bailey got six outs for his 10th save.

Rays right-hander James Shields took a shutout into the seventh, but wound up allowing three runs and six hits over 6 1-3 innings. Tampa Bay has lost two in a row at home after winning nine straight at Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay took a 3-0 lead in the sixth on a two-run double by Pat Burrell and Jason Bartlett’s RBI single off Wuertz.

Dan Wheeler (3-2), who followed Shields, was charged with one run while recording one out and took the loss.

Oakland threatened in the first, but Cabrera was thrown out by right fielder Ben Zobrist when he tried to score on Matt Holliday’s fly ball.

Rajai Davis started in right field one day after Sweeney was benched for not running out a batted ball. Athletics manager Bob Geren said putting Davis, who hit a two-run homer in Saturday’s 7-2 win over the Rays, in the lineup was a baseball decision.

Sweeney entered in the seventh after Cust hit for Davis.

NOTES: Tampa Bay All-Star LF Carl Crawford rested. He struck out as pinch hitter in the ninth. … Cabrera has a hit in 21 of his last 23 games. … Geren said his post All-Star break rotation will be LHP Dallas Braden, RHP Trevor Cahill, RHP Vin Mazzaro, Anderson and LHP Gio Gonzalez. … Athletics 1B Jason Giambi (bruised right elbow) was sore, but was available off the bench. … Suzuki has a career-high 10 game hitting streak. … Burrell has 10 RBIs in 26 games since returning from a strained neck on June 12.