Game #119: A’s drop finale, lose 10-3 to Rangers

The A’s dropped the series finale against the Rangers, falling 7-2 and splitting the four-game set in Texas.

The starting pitching wasn’t the best today but the offense wasn’t either, collecting just three runs on five hits. At least they head home now.

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After starter Sean Murphy had started all previous three games of this series, top prospect Shea Langeliers got the nod behind the plate for the early morning finale. We got to see what scouts had been talking about when praising his arm behind the plate in the very first inning. After a walk, former Athletic Marcus Semien tried stealing on the rookie catcher, only to get gunned down by the top prospect:

Shea wasn’t done showing off his defense, either. The next inning saw a single and RBI triple give Texas the first lead of the game, and a passed ball prompted the runner at third to break for home. A huge heads-up play by the rookie catcher saved a run for the rookie starting pitcher Zach Logue here:

The Rangers ended up getting that run later that inning anyway when Mark Mathias hit a home run to double the Texas lead to two.

The Oakland bats, meanwhile, got their first hit in the third on a Vimael Machin double but couldn’t bring him in. After seeing his teammates strand a runner at second the previous inning, today’s second baseman Sheldon Neuse came to the plate with a runner in scoring position and made sure to bring him and himself around to the plate, blasting a 2-run home run to tie this game:

There was no shutdown inning for Logue in the bottom of the frame, though, as Texas scored a pair thanks to a HBP, walk, RBI single and sac fly to retake a 2-run lead over the A’s. Texas added on a few more runs in the fifth on a 3-run shot off the bat of Nathaniel Lowe. That bomb ended Logue’s day as manager Mark Kotsay turned to righty Domingo Tapia with Logue unable to finish five full innings.

-Zach Logue: 4 ¹⁄₃ IP, 6 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 2 K, 79 pitches

The long ball continues to be an issue for the lefty and it stung him again here in Texas against a dangerous Rangers lineup to end his day. Good thing for him that the A’s are in a youth movement. He’ll have chances to iron things out in the big leagues.

Texas scored an extra run on a bases-loaded wild pitch from Tapia in the sixth, but gave it right back on their own wild pitch with Langeliers at third after a double and sacrifice put him there.

A couple more Rangers runs in the eighth against Austin Pruitt put the score at its ultimate final and sent the A’s packing losers of the series finale.

So no series win, but no series loss either. It would have been nice to have all three rookie starting pitchers throw three straight solid starts but one of them was always likely to get knocked around, it just happened to be Logue. Today’s loss isn’t all on him as the offense couldn’t get much of anything going aside from the Neuse blast.

At least the road trip is over and the club gets to head back home. They’ll get right back at it tomorrow night at the Coliseum against the Mariners. It’ll be left-hander Cole Irvin going for the A’s; he’s been fantastic at home this year with a 1.66 ERA at the Coliseum.