WEST SACRAMENTO (Interstat) -- Liam Hicks homered and drove in three runs, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Athletics 8-4 on Wednesday afternoon at Sutter Health Park.

Hicks finished 3 for 5 with his 16th home run of the season, a three-run shot in the fourth inning that turned a one-run lead into a five-run cushion. Jonny DeLuca added three hits for the Rays, who have won three straight in the series after taking the opener 12-4 and the middle game 10-6.

Tampa Bay scored eight runs on 15 hits, while the Athletics managed seven hits. The Rays trailed 2-0 early? No, they never trailed. Actually they led 2-0, then Athletics tied? No, Athletics scored 2 in the third, so the score was 3-2. Then Rays scored 4 in the fourth. So the game went from 3-2 to 7-2.

The Rays took the lead in the second inning. Jonny DeLuca doubled, Cedric Mullins bunted for a single, and Richie Palacios lined a run-scoring single. After a sacrifice bunt, Yandy Diaz reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Mullins and advanced Palacios to third, with an error on Athletics pitcher Jack Perkins allowing the run.

Tampa Bay added a run in the third. Junior Caminero singled, Hicks singled, and Mullins doubled to left field. Caminero scored, but Hicks was thrown out at the plate on the play, which was upheld after a replay challenge.

The Athletics answered in the bottom of the third. Donovan Walton was hit by a pitch, and Zack Gelof singled. Carlos Cortes doubled to right-center, scoring both runners and cutting Tampa Bay’s lead to 3-2.

The Rays broke it open in the fourth. Yandy Diaz singled, Jonathan Aranda singled, and Caminero singled to score Diaz. Hicks followed with his home run to right-center, driving in Aranda and Caminero and making it 7-2.

Tampa Bay added an insurance run in the eighth. Richie Palacios walked, Taylor Walls singled, and Diaz singled to score Palacios.

The Athletics got two runs in the bottom of the eighth on solo home runs from Gelof and Lawrence Butler, but could not get any closer.

Drew Rasmussen earned the win for Tampa Bay, improving to 12-5. He allowed two runs on four hits over five innings, striking out three without walking a batter. Jack Perkins took the loss for the Athletics, falling to 2-9.

Michael Grove pitched two innings of relief for the Rays, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out two. Steven Matz, Casey Legumina and Scott Blewett also appeared in relief, with Blewett working a scoreless inning for the Athletics. Seth Johnson and Drew Rom each pitched a scoreless inning for as well.

Zack Gelof was 2 for 4 with a home run and an RBI for the Athletics. Donovan Walton singled and was hit by a pitch, and Tommy White had a hit.

Tampa Bay grounded into two double plays, including one in the second inning and another in the eighth.

The Rays improved to 74-46, while the Athletics fell to 47-74.

Attendance was 8,287. The game lasted 2 hours, 45 minutes.

The Rays return home Friday to open a four-game series against Baltimore. The Athletics host Texas on Friday.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Tampa Bay 8, Athletics 2. The ELO system gave Tampa Bay a 64.90 percent probability of winning. The Rays were favored by 1.5 runs. The combined score of 12 went under the over-under of 9.5.