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Rangers batter Athletics with eight in ninth

Jul 26, 2008 - 6:52 AM By Al Barba PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- The Oakland Athletics' top-rated pitching staff was no match for the mighty Texas Rangers.

Rookie Chris Davis sparked an eight-run ninth inning with a two-run homer as the Rangers crushed the Oakland Athletics, 14-6, on Friday.

Texas sent 13 men to the plate in the ninth. Michael Young had an RBI double, Hank Blalock a two-run single and Marlon Byrd chipped in an RBI double.

Earlier, All-Star Josh Hamilton and David Murphy had each belted two-run homers in a five-run fourth as five players had at least two RBI for the Rangers, who entered the game averaging a major league-best 5.46 runs.

"We're a confident team when it comes to putting up runs," Young said. "We're confident that if we stay with our approach, good things are going to happen."

Meanwhile, the A's saw their 3.42 team ERA, the best in baseball coming in, take a hit - actually 17 of them.

Ian Kinsler, who belted a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh off rookie Brad Ziegler, entered the game second in the American League with a .427 average with runners in scoring position.

"That's what he's been doing all year," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He had a very good at-bat against Ziegler that got us the lead and we held on."

"He (Kinsler) has been doing it all year, that's why he made the All-Star team," Michael Young said. "He's our catalyst, sets the tone for our offense and when he gets on base he gets things moving."

Kinsler's hit was not charged to Ziegler, who threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings to match former Philadelphia Phililes righthander George McQuillan's 101-year-old major league record with 25 scoreless innings at the start of a career.

Ziegler relieved fellow rookie Jerry Blevins (0-1) with Davis on second.

The Rangers' outburst was a welcome sight to Vicente Padilla (12-5), who allowed five runs in the third. The righthander allowed one hit the rest of the way and struck out nine in six innings. Padilla retired the final 12 batters he faced and won for the second time since being activated from the disabled list on July 20.

It was a rocky start for Padilla, as Oakland sent 10 men to the plate in the third. Jack Hannahan highlighted the frame with a two-run single while rookie Brooks Conrad picked up his first major league hit and RBI.

But the Rangers battled back. Murphy's two-run homer off A's starter Sean Gallagher sparked a five-run fourth, which was capped by Hamilton's two-run blast to right field. Hamilton leads baseball with 100 RBI.

"We're not going to start off the game hot every time." said Hamilton of the Rangers being held off the scoreboard for three frames. "We got through the lineup one time. We tried to hit the ball hard every time. When one of us gets going, then the next guy gets going after that. We feed off every one. That's the way it's been all year."

Four of the five runs in the inning were unearned as the third baseman Brooks Conrad committed a throwing error on a ground ball by Marlon Byrd to open the frame.

"I left way too many pitches up in the zone," Gallagher said. "When our guys give me a lead like that I have to hold it. I kind of let them down."