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Kinsler helps Rangers edge A's

Jun 29, 2012 - 7:45 AM Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Ian Kinsler was a catalyst atop the lineup with a season-high four hits, and the Texas Rangers hung on for a 7-6 victory over the Oakland A's.

Kinsler scored three times thanks to a lineup that had five players with multi-hit games, including Josh Hamilton, Michael Young, Nelson Cruz and David Murphy.

Despite 14 hits, none left the ballpark, and the Rangers were able to win their third straight and 14th out of their last 17 games. Scott Feldman (2-6) grabbed the win despite giving up four runs in five-plus innings.

Joe Nathan earned his 18th save after getting out of a first-and-third, one- out jam in the ninth.

Oakland lost even though it received home runs from Josh Reddick, Derek Norris and Cliff Pennington. It's the first time since May 23, 2009 the A's have lost a game when homering at least three times.

"We're obviously facing a better lineup," Reddick said. "I remember looking up there today, thinking, 'Only three of these guys are hitting below .270.' We know as much as the league knows these guys can hit the baseball. They're up there with the best of everyone."

Tyson Ross (2-8) lost his fifth straight decision after yielding five runs, eight hits and a walk in four-plus innings. He hasn't recorded a win since May 14.

The height of this game's drama came in the ninth, when Nathan preserved a one-run lead.

With one out, Nathan walked Reddick on four pitches, and Reddick took second on a wild pitch and third on a Yoenis Cespedes single to right.

Needing only a fly ball to likely score Reddick, Seth Smith struck out swinging, including a swing at a ball that hit him in the leg. Brandon Inge was the final chance for Oakland, but he grounded out weakly to shortstop.

Reddick's homer in the first gave the A's an early lead, but Hamilton's RBI groundout in the home half quickly tied the score.

Norris' and Pennington's homers came consecutively to begin the third, and Cespedes added an RBI single later in the inning for a 4-1 Athletics lead.

Hamilton brought Texas to within two with an RBI single in the bottom of the third, and the Rangers went ahead for good with four runs in the fifth and another in the sixth.

Ross began the fifth for Oakland, but didn't finish it after a walk and two singles began the frame. Jim Miller came on in relief after Elvis Andrus' run- scoring infield single, but Miller walked the first two batters he faced to force home a run, making it 4-4.

Miller seemed to recover by retiring the next two hitters, but Murphy laced a single to right to plate two.

Adrian Beltre's sacrifice fly in the sixth put Texas ahead by three, though the A's rallied in the seventh.

"We'll take it however we can," Beltre said. "We're not going to hit home runs every game. Today, we used walks and slow rollers, anything we could take. We just need to win ballgames."

Coco Crisp singled off Tanner Scheppers, and Reddick worked a one-out walk. Crisp later scored on a Cespedes single, and Reddick made it a one-run game by coming home on Smith's sacrifice fly.

After Mike Adams worked around a one-out walk in the eighth, Nathan preserved the lead by the slimmest of margins.

Game Notes

Kinsler has eight career games with at least four hits, the last coming on August 15, 2011...The Rangers are 9-11 this year when they don't homer...Texas has won its last 14 games when recording at least 14 hits without a homer...Kinsler also stole two bases.