Rich Hill’s decent start, Valencia’s power end A’s losing streak

Hill became the first member of the Oakland rotation to make it through six innings in more than a week and the A’s flashed some power in a 6-3 win over the Rays, banging four homers while ending their season-high five-game losing streak.

Oakland starters had allowed 34 runs in 27 2/3 innings over the previous seven games and had failed to make it out of the third inning three games in a row.

Valencia, back in the lineup after missing all but an inning and a half of the Boston series with hamstring tightness, clobbered two home runs, his first homers of the season.

Valencia blasted one off the “C” ring catwalk in left in the first inning and hit an opposite-field shot in the sixth.

“That’s a game-saving play,” said infield coach Ron Washington, who often does early work with Valencia.

Khris Davis hit a monster three-run drive in the first and Marcus Semien a line-drive shot out to left in the fourth.

Semien’s nine homers are the most among American League shortstops - and though it’s only mid-May, he has tied the Oakland record for homers as a No. 9 hitter, matching Ramon Hernandez’s mark set in 2000.

Hill, the A’s best starter by far this season, walked Desmond Jennings and Longoria with one out in the first and gave up run-scoring singles to Steve Pearce and Steven Souza Jr.

After a two-out walk to Tim Beckham in the first, though, Hill (5-3) retired the next 12 batters until a two-out walk to Jennings in the fifth; Jennings scored on a double by Longoria.