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Darvish shoots for win No. 8 in finale with A's

Jun 7, 2012 - 2:34 PM (Sports Network) - Yu Darvish shoots for win No. 8 this afternoon when the Texas Rangers play the finale of their four-game set with the Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum.

Darvish failed to become the first pitcher to eight wins in the American League his last time out, as he lost to Anaheim on Saturday, allowing three runs and six hits in 6 1/3 frames. He also struck out seven batters, but fell to 7-3 to go along with a 3.34 ERA.

"Yu Darvish did a heck of a job out there tonight, and we didn't support him because we didn't make the plays," manager Ron Washington said. "It was a very ugly performance."

Darvish beat the A's earlier in the year, holding them to a run and four hits in 7 2/3 frames.

If Darvish is going to beat the A's again tonight the Rangers offense will need to be better than it was on Wednesday when Bartolo Colon tossed eight scoreless innings to lead Oakland to a 2-0 win.

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."

Getting the call for the A's tonight will be righty Brandon McCarthy, who has won his last four decisions. McCarthy returned from the disabled list to beat the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, limiting them to a pair of runs in six innings, as he ran his record to 4-3 and maintained his 2.95 ERA.

McCarthy is just 1-4 in 10 games (8 starts) versus the Rangers with a 4.35 ERA.

Oakland split a two-game set with Texas earlier in the year.