Rays 7, Athletics 3: Kevin Kiermaier belted a two-run homer and collected three RBIs while Jeremy Hellickson allowed one run over seven strong innings as visiting Tampa Bay salvaged the finale of a three-game series.

Ben Zobrist recorded three hits, including two doubles, and knocked in a run while Desmond Jennings added two RBIs as the Rays snapped a five-game losing streak at Oakland. Hellickson (1-1) yielded two hits and did not walk a batter as Tampa Bay remained 5 1/2 games behind Toronto for the second American League wild-card spot.

Oakland starter Sonny Gray (12-5) permitted a career-high seven runs (six earned) and 10 hits over 4 1/3 innings to suffer his second straight loss. Eric Sogard launched a solo homer and Josh Reddick lined a two-run double in the ninth for the Athletics, who remained two games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West.

Kiermaier’s groundout brought home a run in the second inning and he hammered the first pitch he saw from Gray over the right-field wall for a two-run shot in the fourth. Two batters later, Zobrist doubled and scored on Evan Longoria’s two-out bloop single to give the Rays a 4-0 lead.

Jennings added a two-run single up the middle to end Gray’s afternoon in fifth and Zobrist pushed the lead to 7-0 with a run-scoring base hit off Jesse Chavez. Yunel Escobar, Jose Molina and James Loney added two hits apiece for the Rays, who scored two total runs in losing the first two games of the series.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Loney went 2-for-4 with a walk to reach base for the 25th consecutive game. … Oakland lost for only the third time in its last 16 games against AL East opponents. … Tampa Bay begins a three-game series at the Chicago Cubs on Friday and Oakland hosts Minnesota to start a four-game set Thursday.