Final
A's win 12-3 to split series with Rangers
Sep 24, 2009 - 11:49 PM By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports WriterOAKLAND, Calif.(AP) -- The Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers have gotten to know each other better this month - as in seven meetings in 11 days.
Last-place Oakland won five of those games and put a big damper on Texas' wild-card hopes in the process.
Jack Cust homered to help rookie Brett Anderson win his fourth straight start, Cliff Pennington hit a two-run triple and the A's salvaged a split of their four-game series against the Rangers with a 12-3 rout Thursday.
Eric Patterson drove in three runs, Adam Kennedy doubled twice among his three hits and Rajai Davis had an RBI triple in a balanced offensive attack for Oakland, which sent the Rangers to just their second loss in their last seven road games.
The A's swept a three-game series at Texas from Sept. 14-16.
"It's nice to have guys up and down the lineup swinging the bat well," A's manager Bob Geren said. "There are a lot of guys in our lineup now who can run. It's fun, an exciting group. We're utilizing every different which way."
Anderson (11-10), who has struggled for run support much of the year, allowed three runs, one earned, and six hits in 5 2-3 innings. He improved to 8-3 over his last 16 starts.
It had to be nice to receive all that offense for a change.
"We're getting guys on base and we're getting hits when we need to," Patterson said. "Usually when you're winning games, it's because you're doing things like that."
Anderson's strikeout of Craig Gentry to start the third was his 142nd, moving him past Rick Langford for most by a rookie in Oakland history. Langford struck out 141 in 1977.
"It's pretty special considering some of the great guys who have made their debuts in this uniform," Anderson said.
Anderson also leads major league rookies in Ks. He received a standing ovation when he was replaced by Brad Ziegler with two runners on in the sixth.
David Murphy and Chris Davis each singled in a run for the Rangers, who couldn't do enough to back Scott Feldman on a day when the right-hander didn't have his best stuff.
"They're playing good baseball. We thought we had a chance to take three out of the four," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "Coming in that was the worst I felt we had to do."
The Rangers, who had won three of five following a five-game skid, were trying to earn consecutive wins for the first time since they won three straight from Sept. 8-9 at Cleveland, which included a doubleheader sweep.
"I really give a lot of credit to the A's and what they've had to do as far as the injuries and the way their hitters battle," Rangers catcher Taylor Teagarden said. "They're not necessarily going to beat you with the long ball but they get guys on base and they seem to get those runs in somehow."
Feldman (17-6) lost to Oakland for the second time in three starts. His home defeat to the A's - a 9-0 loss - on Sept. 14 ended his career-best seven-game winning streak.
On Thursday, he got through a 1-2-3 first on 11 pitches but didn't have another clean inning. He was done after 3 1-3 innings, leaving after Cust's solo homer.
Feldman also matched his career high with five walks - three of those coming in Oakland's four-run third.
"I just stunk today, pretty much to sum it up," Feldman said.
The A's committed two errors that led to an unearned run for the Rangers in the first.
NOTES: Anderson didn't walk a batter for the fifth time. ... Davis matched his career-best hitting streak at 12 with the fourth-inning triple, his fifth of the year. ... Anderson and Teagarden were Olympic teammates last year, earning a bronze medal for the U.S. team in the Beijing Games. ... Much of the A's top brass traveled to Phoenix for the funeral of Cheryl Polakowski, wife of longtime director of minor league operations, Ted Polakowski. She died Saturday at age 47 of pancreatic cancer. Cheryl Polakowski worked for the A's at their Papago Park minor league complex. ... Oakland has committed three errors in consecutive games for the first time since May 12-13, 2007, vs. Cleveland. ... Texas starters are 10-11 this month.
- Athletics 12, Rangers 3 - FINAL
TEXAS ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
I Kinsler 2b 5 2 1 0 0 0 1 .249
E Andrus ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 .267
D Murphy lf 3 0 1 1 1 1 0 .276
A Jones dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 .214
H Blalock 1b 4 1 1 0 0 2 2 .244
M Byrd cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .280
C Da
Sep 24 6:46 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY ERIC PATTERSON SCORED LANDON POWELL
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, E PATTERSON ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 3
OAKLAND 12 BOTTOM,8TH
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: T BUCK (.227, 1-FOR-3, BB, RBI)
Rangers 3, Athletics 12 Bot 8, 0 OutsSep 24 6:35 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND OUT BY DARIC BARTON SCORED RYAN SWEENEY
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, L POWELL ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 3
OAKLAND 11 BOTTOM,8TH
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: E PATTERSON (.246, 1-FOR-2, 2 BB, 2 RBI)
Rangers 3, Athletics 11 Bot 8, 0 OutsSep 24 6:34 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY ADAM KENNEDY SCORED CLIFF PENNINGTON
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, A KENNEDY ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 3
OAKLAND 10 BOTTOM,7TH
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: R DAVIS (.318, 1-FOR-4, RBI)
Rangers 3, Athletics 10 Bot 7, 0 OutsSep 24 6:12 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
TRIPLE BY CLIFF PENNINGTON SCORED DARIC BARTON AND LANDON
POWELL
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, C PENNINGTON ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 3
OAKLAND 9 BOTTOM,7TH
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: A KENNEDY (.289, 2-FOR-4)
Rangers 3, Athletics 9 Bot 7, 0 OutsSep 24 6:10 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY CHRIS DAVIS SCORED HANK BLALOCK
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, C DAVIS ON FIRST, M BYRD ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 3
OAKLAND 7 TOP,6TH
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: T TEAGARDEN (.208, 1-FOR-2)
Rangers 3, Athletics 7 Top 6, 0 OutsSep 24 5:34 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY JACK CUST (23) TO CENTER WITH 1 OUT IN THE
4TH OFF SCOTT FELDMAN.
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2, OAKLAND 7
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: L POWELL (.233, 0-FOR-2)
Rangers 2, Athletics 7 Bot 4, 0 OutsSep 24 5:03 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY RYAN SWEENEY SCORED RAJAI DAVIS
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, NONE ON, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2
OAKLAND 6 BOTTOM,4TH
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: J CUST (.239, 1-FOR-1, BB)
Rangers 2, Athletics 6 Bot 4, 0 OutsSep 24 5:01 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
TRIPLE BY RAJAI DAVIS SCORED ADAM KENNEDY
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, R DAVIS ON THIRD, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2
OAKLAND 5 BOTTOM,4TH
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: R SWEENEY (.290, 0-FOR-1, BB)
Rangers 2, Athletics 5 Bot 4, 0 OutsSep 24 4:58 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY TRAVIS BUCK SCORED DARIC BARTON
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, T BUCK ON FIRST, E PATTERSON ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2
OAKLAND 4 BOTTOM,3RD
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: C PENNINGTON (.282, 0-FOR-1)
Rangers 2, Athletics 4 Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 24 4:45 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY ERIC PATTERSON SCORED JACK CUST AND RYAN SWEENEY
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, E PATTERSON ON FIRST, D BARTON ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2
OAKLAND 3 BOTTOM,3RD
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: T BUCK (.223, 0-FOR-0, BB)
Rangers 2, Athletics 3 Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 24 4:44 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
BASES LOADED WALK TO DARIC BARTON SCORED ADAM KENNEDY
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, D BARTON ON FIRST, J CUST ON SECOND, R
SWEENEY ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2
OAKLAND 1 BOTTOM,3RD
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: E PATTERSON (.238, 0-FOR-0, BB)
Rangers 2, Athletics 1 Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 24 4:43 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY DAVID MURPHY SCORED IAN KINSLER
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, D MURPHY ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2
OAKLAND 0 TOP,3RD
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: A JONES (.213, 0-FOR-1)
Rangers 2, Athletics 0 Top 3, 0 OutsSep 24 4:22 PM - AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TEXAS 1 1 0 0
OAKLAND 0 0 2 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: TEX - SCOTT FELDMAN
OAK - BRETT ANDERSON
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: A KENNEDY (.287, 11 HR, 59 RBI)
R DAVIS (.319, 3 HR, 46 RBI)
R SWEENEY (.291, 6 HR, 52 RBI)
Rangers 1, Athletics 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsSep 24 3:46 PM
Related News
- Elephant Rumblings: Post-Christmas lull at full throttle Dec 26
- Tuesday Morning Texas Rangers Update Dec 26
- Christmas Morning Texas Rangers Update Dec 25
- Garver to the M’s, per reports Dec 24
- Twas The Night Before Christmas... Dec 24
- Elephant Rumblings: Luis Morales a prospect to watch in 2024 Dec 24
- Christmas Eve Rangers things Dec 24
- 2023 Athletics Season in Review: Lawrence Butler Dec 23
- Saturday morning Rangers things Dec 23
- Elephant Rumblings: Giants Strike Out in Free Agency Once Again Dec 23
- 2023 Athletics Season in Review: Esteury Ruiz Dec 22
- Friday morning Rangers stuff Dec 22