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Kinsler, Rangers top A's

Jun 6, 2012 - 7:04 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Ian Kinsler had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored to lead the Texas Rangers past the Oakland Athletics, 6-3, in the second test of a four-game set at the Coliseum.

Derek Holland (5-4) allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks through 5 1/3 innings to earn the win for Texas, which has won two of its last three games on the heels of a four-game losing streak.

"It's my job to make sure to go out there as long as I possibly could despite being a little fatigued," said Holland, who was recovering from a stomach virus.

Joe Nathan tossed a scoreless ninth to record his 12th save of the year.

Travis Blackley (0-1) gave up five runs on seven hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings to suffer the loss.

Collin Cowgill hit a two-run homer while Yoenis Cespedes added a solo shot for the Athletics, who lost for the 11th time in their last 13 games.

Texas struck first after Mike Napoli led off the third with a walk and advanced to second on Yorvit Torrealba's infield single before both runners moved up a base on a Craig Gentry sacrifice bunt.

Kinsler stepped up next and pulled double into the left-field corner to plate Napoli and Torrealba. Josh Hamilton added a double two batters later to bring home Kinsler for a 3-0 advantage.

After Oakland left a runner on third in the bottom of the frame, the Rangers added a run in the fourth on a Torrealba sacrifice fly and made it a 5-0 game in the fifth on Michael Young's two-out, run-scoring triple that knocked Blackley out of the game.

But the Athletics started to fight back in the home fifth when Kurt Suzuki doubled prior to Cowgill's two-out blast over the left-field wall.

Cespedes then hammered a leadoff homer in the sixth to close the gap to 5-3.

Brandon Inge followed with a walk and would later advance to second with one out on Kila Ka`aihue's base hit to right, but Alexi Ogando entered in relief of Holland and retired the next two batters to end the inning.

Ogando would then strand men on second and third in the seventh and Mike Adams worked a scoreless eighth before Elvis Andrus' RBI single in the ninth gave the Rangers a three-run cushion.

Nathan allowed a one-out single to Jemile Weeks in the bottom of the ninth, but retired Cowgill on a pop up to third and fanned Josh Reddick on three pitches to end the game.

"After last night I think we felt like every inning we had a chance," Athletics manager Bob Melvin said about his team, which scored a season-high 12 runs on Monday. "When guys were on base we felt good about scoring runs."

Game Notes

Athletics pitcher Andrew Carignan left the game in the eighth inning with an apparent arm injury...Cowgill extended his career-high hit streak to eight games with his first home run of the season...Holland improved to 4-1 in 10 career appearances -- seven starts -- against Oakland...The season series between the teams is tied, 2-2.