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A's clip Rangers in rubber match

Jul 28, 2014 - 4:57 AM Arlington, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - John Jaso drove in three runs and Scott Kazmir did his part on the mound in the Oakland Athletics' 9-3 win over the Texas Rangers in Sunday's rubber match of a three-game set.

Kazmir, who was provided a six-run cushion from his offense through five innings, gave way to his bullpen earlier than usual in this one. He allowed two runs on seven hits and didn't go seven innings for the first time since June 30.

"Seeing him be so good this season, that five-inning outing doesn't look so good," A's manager Bob Melvin said.

The A's improved to 16-5 when Kazmir (12-3) starts this season.

Oakland pounded out 11 hits, with Josh Reddick accounting for three and Jaso, Stephen Vogt and Yoenis Cespedes all posting two with a run scored. Cespedes also drove in a pair of runs to help Oakland win for the eighth time in the last nine meetings at Globe Life Park.

Adrian Beltre and Adam Rosales homered for Texas, which has averaged two runs over its last six games.

"You've got to score runs. We score runs, but we don't sustain it," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

Rookie Miles Mikolas (1-3) has been a disaster at home in his two previous starts, and Sunday was no different. Mikolas was charged with eight runs -- seven earned -- and failed to get out of the fifth inning.

In three starts and 13 2/3 innings at home, Mikolas has been pummeled to the tune of 20 earned runs on 28 hits.

Consecutive one-out walks in the second by Mikolas opened the door for the A's, who put up a five-spot in the inning. Jed Lowrie scored the first run on Mikolas' throwing error on a Craig Gentry comebacker to the mound. Jaso singled home Eric Sogard and back-to-back doubles by Vogt and Cespedes made it 5-0.

Texas got a pair of runs back on Rosales' two-run homer a half inning later, but the game got away from the home team in the fifth. Sogard's RBI double to right made it a four-run game, and Jaso's two-bagger against reliever Ryan Feierabend later in the inning made it 8-2.

Reddick singled home Cespedes in the sixth for the final Oakland run, while Beltre's solo shot in the eighth inning provided the final margin.

Game Notes

Cespedes has hit safely in all eight games since the All-Star break ... Kazmir improved to 7-1 in his last 11 starts ... Oakland went 6-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Texas finished 0-for-3 with RISP ... The Rangers are 6-29 over their last 35 games.