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Colon helps A's blank Rangers

Jun 7, 2012 - 5:55 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Bartolo Colon tossed eight brilliant, scoreless innings on Wednesday and the Oakland A's blanked the Texas Rangers, 2-0, in the third game of a four-game set.

Colon (5-6) scattered five hits and struck out five while walking just one hitter to earn the victory. Brian Fuentes worked a 1-2-3 ninth to collect his fifth save of the season.

"They have the best lineup in the league, but he really dictated the pace out there," A's manager Bob Melvin said of Colon's performance. "He was really on the plate today."

Yoenis Cespedes went 3-for-3 with an RBI single and was only a home run shy of the cycle, while Brandon Inge knocked in the other run with a single for the A's, who have won two of the first three games of this series.

Colby Lewis (4-5) went the distance in defeat, allowing two runs on six hits, while striking out three without issuing a walk, and Mike Napoli had two hits for the Rangers, who have dropped six of eight and were shut out for the first time this season.

"It is what it is, you have to go out there and keep the team in the game," Lewis said. "You have to keep doing what you're doing and try to go deep in the game and let things fall where they may."

Texas put a threat together in the second inning when Michael Young beat out an infield single, David Murphy walked and Napoli slapped a single into left to load the bases with one out. However, Colon got Mitch Moreland to ground into an inning-ending double play.

After avoiding early trouble in the top of the second, the A's capitalized on a leadoff double by Cespedes in the home half of the frame to take the early lead.

Following Cespedes' double down the line in left, Seth Smith fouled out, but Inge picked up his teammate with an RBI base hit up the middle.

Josh Reddick began the Oakland fourth with a double into right and Cespedes followed with a line single into left to bring home Reddick and give the A's the 2-0 lead.

Texas never threatened the rest of the game and Fuentes got Elvis Andrus to ground out before fanning Josh Hamilton and inducing a weak ground ball to second from Adrian Beltre to lock up the win.

Game Notes

Texas' only other complete game this season was an eight-inning loss by Neftali Feliz against the Tigers on April 21...Probables for Thursday's series finale will be Brandon McCarthy for the A's facing off against Yu Darvish for Texas...Oakland improved to 13-12 in games decided by two runs or fewer this year...The Rangers went 1-for-2 with runners in scoring position and stranded four.