"Ben Sheets delivered his best start in an A's uniform Saturday, an effort that was important for his team but even more so for his psyche.

After getting hammered in his two previous outings, Sheets limited the Tampa Bay Rays to four hits over 6?1/3 innings in a 4-2 A's victory. It was just the Rays' second loss in 15 road games.

Sheets spotted his fastball well. He snapped off several curves that appeared to fall through a trap door. In short, he was what the A's envisioned when they signed him to a one-year, $10 million deal over the winter.

They hope it's a stepping stone for things to come.

"I always have fun, but it's hard to have fun when you get your (butt) handed to you like I did the last two games," Sheets said. "I just had to take a deep breath. Success is fun. Failure's not fun."

After making a slight mechanical adjustment, dropping his arm slot an inch or two in his delivery, Sheets notched a season-high eight strikeouts to go alongside three walks.

The four-time All-Star seemed at a loss to solve his struggles following his past two starts, when he allowed a combined 17 earned runs at Tampa Bay and Toronto.

A's manager Bob Geren said he noticed Sheets' confidence early, as the right-hander threw a sharp curve on the game's first pitch to Jason Bartlett. "