Tampa Bay Rays extend historic unbeaten streak to 8-0, beat A’s 11-0

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The Tampa Bay Rays extended Major League Baseball’s best start in 20 years behind Jeffrey Springs’ seven three-hit innings and Randy Arozarena’s four RBIs to defeat the Oakland Athletics, 11-0, on Saturday in a 8-0 record.

Tampa Bay is the first major league team to start 8-0 since the 2003 Kansas City Royals won their first nine games. The Rays have outscored opponents 64-18 and are the first team to win their first eight games by four or more runs since the St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association of 1884 in their first 13.

No team had won eight straight games by that margin at any point in the season since the 1939 New York Yankees did it 10 straight times.

Isaac Paredes and Brandon Lowe each had three RBIs for the Rays.

Springs (2-0), after six hitless innings in his season debut against the Detroit Tigers, gave up a first-inning single to Esteury Ruiz. He struck out seven, raising his total to 19 in 13 innings.

Shintaro Fujinami (0-2) allowed five runs, three hits, four walks and hit one batter over 4 1/3 innings in his second major league start. The right-hander didn’t allow a hit until Wander Franco’s one-out single in the fourth.

Fujinami, who signed as a free agent in January after pitching 10 years for Hanshin of the Japan Central League, allowed eight runs in 2 1/3 innings in a 13-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in his league debut on April 1. His next start could be at home against Kodai Senga of the New York Mets.

Oakland, which had just three hits, has lost six of eight and is hitting .209.

Tampa Bay scored three times in the fifth to go up 5-0 with three hits, two walks and a single. Arozarena ended Fujinami’s day with a two-run single, and Paredes picked up an RBI when he was hit by a pitch from Sam Moll.

Arozarena had a two-run homer in the ninth off regular catcher Carlos Pérez.

Manuel Margot had a solo homer and Lowe added a three-run home run in the sixth off Domingo Acevedo.