Gray's struggles continue as Athletics lose 8-3 to Yankees

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Oakland manager Bob Melvin is trying to keep a positive spin on Sonny Gray's season, even as the Athletics' ace continues to suffer through one of the longest slumps of his career.

It's an increasingly tough task for Melvin, especially after watching Gray labor through his shortest outing this season.

The New York Yankees knocked an unusually wild Gray out of the game after scoring five runs in the fourth inning and coasted to an 8-3 victory Friday night.

''For a while out there it looked he had things figured out,'' Melvin said. ''They just made him work a little bit . got his pitch count up. And then in the fourth it wasn't as good.''

All but one of the runs charged to Gray (3-5) were earned. He threw 98 pitches, retired just 10 batters and had command problems all game while walking four with three wild pitches.

Two of Gray's walks and two of the wild pitches came in the fourth. He is 0-4 with a 10.38 ERA over his last five starts.

''I was just missing a lot,'' Gray said. ''I threw a lot of balls in the dirt, got deep into a lot of counts and definitely didn't put any guys away. It's tough. I don't know. It's just not something that I really expect from myself.''

CC Sabathia came off the disabled list to pitch six innings and become the eighth player in the modern era to win 100 games or more with two teams to lead New York. The big left-hander allowed one run, three hits, walked one and had a season-high eight strikeouts.

The win was Sabathia's 100th in New York pinstripes. He also had 106 victories with Cleveland to join an illustrious list of players that includes Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Greg Maddux to win 100 or more with two teams.

''I'm really encouraged with what I've seen,'' Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. ''He's put a pretty good streak together and hopefully it continues.''

Carlos Beltran doubled three times and drove in three runs, Jacoby Ellsbury added two RBIs while Ronald Torreyes had a two-run triple during the five-run fourth inning to help the Yankees to their second straight win in this series after getting swept by the A's in April.

It is the Yankees' first three-game winning streak since Sept. 1-4.

Oakland scored its only run off Sabathia in the second on Matt McBride's two-out single.

A'S GETTING F'S ON DEFENSE

The A's committed three errors to raise their AL-leading total to 34 but those were just the tip of the iceberg. Center fielder Coco Crisp had trouble tracking two deep fly balls in the cool, windy air and allowed one by Beltran to fall in for a double. ''Sometimes a ball that's hit right at you like that, on a line, especially when the wind's blowing like it is tonight, is kind of tough to judge and it just got over his head,'' Melvin said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Athletics: C Stephen Vogt was hit by a pitch near his left wrist and is likely to be held out of Saturday's game. . OF Josh Reddick is scheduled to meet with a hand specialist on Monday after fracturing the tip of his left thumb stealing second base Thursday. . RHP Liam Hendriks (triceps strain) received a cortisone injection in his elbow. ... OF Sam Fuld is in Florida recovering from rotator cuff surgery. ... Backup C Josh Phegley will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville on Saturday. . RHP R.J. Alvarez (elbow surgery) will throw a full bullpen session Sunday.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (1-0) pitches Saturday and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his eight starts this season.

Athletics: LHP Sean Manaea (1-1) is coming off his first win in the major leagues and will try to become the first Oakland pitcher since Aug. 22, 2015, to pitch more than seven innings.