BASEBALL: A’s come from 8 down to beat Rangers in 10

Published 11:56 pm Tuesday, July 24, 2018

By Dave Jackson

Associated Press

ARLINGTON — Khris Davis’ three-run homer in the 10th inning capped the Oakland Athletics’ comeback from an eight-run deficit in a 13-10 win over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.

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Davis’ went deep against Austin Bibens-Dirkx (2-3) for the Athletics’ fourth homer of the night — their third consecutive game with that many. Oakland’s 92 homers on the road lead the majors.

The Rangers led 10-2 after the sixth inning but blew the lead thanks to ineffective relief pitching. Oakland scored three in the seventh and four more with just one hit in the eighth. Stephen Piscotty’s solo homer leading off the ninth tied the score against Keone Kela, who blew his first save of the season in 24 chances.

Elvis Andrus hit his first career grand slam and tied his career high with five RBIs for Texas, but his error in the eighth inning on a potential inning-ending double play ball aided Oakland’s comeback.

Marcus Semien and Jed Lowrie drove in three runs each for the A’s in a spirited comeback against a wild Rangers bullpen. Brandon Mann walked the first two batters of the seventh and both came around on Semien’s two-run double in a three-run inning.

Jake Diekman then walked the bases loaded in the eighth, and Andrus booted Semien’s hard grounder to score one run, then Diekman hit Nick Martini to push across another run.

Kela relieved and gave up a two-run single to Lowrie before getting out of the inning with a one-run lead. But Piscotty connected on the reliever’s first pitch of the ninth to tie it.

Texas pitchers have given up 53 runs in five games since the All-Star break, and that includes a shutout Sunday against Cleveland.

Andrus hit his grand slam off Oakland reliever J.B. Wendelken in the Rangers’ six-run sixth that gave them their eight-run lead. But that was Texas’ last hit of the game as the A’s bullpen gave up just one walk over the final 14 hitters.

Jeurys Familia (2-0) won his second game for the A’s in his second appearance for the club since being acquired from the Mets on Saturday, pitching two perfect innings. Blake Treinen retired the side in the 10th for his 25th save in 29 chances.

Willie Calhoun’s first home run of the season snapped a 2-2 tie in the fifth, and Joey Gallo hit his 25th homer of the season on reliever Ryan Buchter’s first pitch of the sixth as Texas batted around.

Texas starter Mike Minor needed 104 pitches to get through five innings, but he gave up just two runs on solo homers by Mark Canha and Lowrie. He crossed the 100-inning mark for the season after pitching only 77 2/3 innings in the previous three seasons combined.

Oakland starter Frankie Montas, recalled from Triple-A Nashville earlier in the day, gave up five hits and four runs, three of them earned, in five innings.

INAUSPICIOUS MOVE

After using two position players to pitch in the 15-3 rout Monday, the Rangers added some bullpen depth by recalling LHP Brandon Mann from Triple-A Round Rock. To make room for Mann, the Rangers optioned Delino DeShields to Round Rock.

But Mann’s first outing lasted only four batters with three runs being charged to him. And DeShields’ replacement in center field, Carlos Tocci, was hit on the right hand by Montas’ pitch in the fifth inning. However, X-rays were negative and Tocci remained in the game and singled in a run in the sixth inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

  • Athletics: The team’s opening day starter, Kendall Graveman, will have Tommy John surgery, which will be performed by Texas Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister. Graveman had an 8.89 ERA in six April starts before getting sent down to Nashville.
  • Rangers: Gallo was back in the lineup Tuesday after missing one game with a sprained left ankle.

UP NEXT

Oakland’s RHP Edwin Jackson (1-2, 2.93) will make his sixth start of the season, and his first start against the Rangers since 2011 when he pitched for the Chicago White Sox. LHP Martin Perez (2-4, 8.05) will make his eighth start of the season for the Rangers.