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A's start strong, finish well in defeat of Rangers

Sep 27, 2012 - 6:26 AM Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Derek Norris drove in three runs and the Oakland Athletics used a five-run first inning to take a 9-3 decision over the Texas Rangers in the third edition of a four-game set.

Stephen Drew finished 4-for-5 with two RBI and Brandon Moss totaled three hits with three runs scored for the Athletics, who have won two straight in the series and three of four overall.

"Certainly it would be nice to win tomorrow, but at this point, these two games I think were big for us," A's manager Bob Melvin said.

Jarrod Parker (12-8) gave up five hits and three runs, fanning eight with three walks over six innings.

Elvis Andrus posted a pair of RBI and Mitch Moreland also knocked in a run for the Rangers, who have dropped four of six. Texas' lead over Oakland in the AL West was reduced to three games with seven remaining.

Martin Perez (1-3) retired just two batters and was charged in the loss with six hits and five runs.

"Perez just got too many balls up in the middle of the plate," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

Oakland chased Perez before he escaped the first inning, thanks to a pair of RBI triples from Yoenis Cespedes and Norris sandwiched around an RBI hit from Chris Carter and a single from Josh Donaldson compounded by a Josh Hamilton fielding error. Roy Oswalt was called on to stem the tide and retired Cliff Pennington for the final out.

Texas got one back in the home half when Ian Kinsler walked and Andrus doubled him in. A Moreland fielder's choice and sac fly from Andrus reduced the hosts' deficit to 5-3 in the second.

But Drew's single with the bases loaded and one out pushed across two more runs for the visitors, then a Norris single in the fourth brought home Moss.

In the ninth, Moss led off with a double, moved up on a one-out hit from Josh Reddick and scored on Norris' fly to left.

Game Notes

With 11 strikeouts on Wednesday, Oakland set the modern AL record for most batters fanned in one season with 1,334 ... The original mark was 1,324 by the 2007 Tampa Bay Devil Rays ... The Athletics committed an error for the fifth straight contest and have been charged with 105 on the year ... Oakland has won eight of 15 meetings with Texas this season, four of those coming in Arlington.