Sonny Gray’s struggles continue in A’s 8-3 loss to Yankees

Friday night, in Oakland’s 8-3 loss to the Yankees at the Coliseum, Gray was shelled for five runs (four earned) in 31/3 innings.

Against a middling Yankees lineup, he oscillated between pitches in the middle of the plate and ones in the dirt.

A five-run fourth inning doomed an A’s team trying to move forward without top hitter Josh Reddick (broken thumb).

Fresh off the 15-day disabled list, Yankees left-hander C.C. Sabathia allowed one run on three hits with eight strikeouts in six innings.

Torreyes crossed home plate as catcher Stephen Vogt chased after the wild pitch.

Unable to find the corners of the strike zone, Gray then fired a high fastball that Carlos Beltran hammered for a two-run double.

“He’s working really hard on fixing it,” said Vogt, who was hit in the wrist in the second inning and could miss Saturday’s game.

With the All-Star game two months away, the A’s are the only major-league team that has not had a starter pitch more than seven innings.

Rookie Sean Manaea, who went 62/3 innings in Monday’s 3-1 win over Texas, will try to become the first Oakland starter since Aug. 22 to accomplish that feat when he starts Saturday.