Rangers beat Athletics 6-1 in Oakland

After a tough loss at the hands of the first place Texas Rangers last night at the Oakland Coliseum, the A’s and Rangers faced off again tonight. Mark Kotsay sent lefty JP Sears to the mound for his Oakland Athletics. Sears is 2-7 with a 4.08 ERA in twenty-two regular season starts. Righty Max Scherzer is 10-4 with a 4.04 ERA in twenty regular season starts in 2023. All but one of those starts this year had been with the New York Mets.

In the top of the second, Robbie Grossman doubled off the left field wall, and Ezequiel Duran singled to drive him home. Designated Hitter Sam Huff singled to left field to advance Duran to second. Marcus Semien reached on an infield single to load the bases with two outs. Sears used his fourth strike out of the game to put away Corey Seager and end the inning allowing only one run.

Grossman led off for the Rangers in the top of the fourth and doubled again off the left field wall. This time Sam Huff followed with a double to drive him in with just one out. Marcus Semian reached on and infield single to short, and Huff never stopped running, and scored from second. Corey Seager knocked the third double of the inning off the center field wall, scoring Semian from first. In the middle of the fourth inning the Rangers led 4-0.

JJ Bleday led off the inning with a no-doubter, solo shot to center field tightening the score to 4-1. Adrián Martínez replaced Sears in the top of the fifth inning. He struck out the side in his first appearance since being called up from the Las Vegas Aviators today. Martínez mowed down the Rangers again in the sixth. Meanwhile, Scherzer continued his dominance over the A’s batters.

Corey Seager broke through against Martínez with a solo homer to open the seventh bringing the score to 5-1. Robbie Grossman walked to open the inning. He was replaced by pinch runner Travis Jankowski. With two outs Leody Taveres tripled off the wall in center field to easily score Jankowski, bringing the score to 6-1 in the top of the eighth inning.

Brock Burke took over for Scherzer in the bottom of the eighth. Scherzer departed having given up one run on three hits, two walks and struck out 6 A’s.

Zach Neal replaced Martínez with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the ninth. He got the final out of the inning and kept the Rangers off the board. Burke shut down the A’s again in the ninth to end the game. This was the Rangers eighth straight victory. The two teams finish off the series Wednesday at 12:37 PM PDT.