Athletics 3 - 2 Rangers
Final/10
  for this game

Kottaras' homer lifts A's past Rangers

Sep 26, 2012 - 6:42 AM

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Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - George Kottaras hit a solo homer in the 10th inning, lifting the Oakland Athletics over the Texas Rangers, 3-2, in the second test of a four-game series.

Chris Carter also hit a solo homer for the A's, who are now a half-game behind the Orioles for the top wild card spot in the AL. Baltimore lost to Toronto on Tuesday.

"The farther you go into a season, each and every win has a little bit more magnitude to it," said A's manager Bob Melvin. "This team has responded like this many, many times this year so it doesn't surprise me."

Oakland starter Tommy Milone gave up two unearned runs on six hits over six innings. Evan Scribner (1-0) tossed a scoreless ninth to pick up his first win in the big leagues.

Scott Feldman got the start for Texas after Yu Darvish was scratched due to neck stiffness. He allowed two runs on four hits over four-plus innings. Mark Lowe (0-2) gave up the homer to Kottaras to take the loss.

The Rangers hold a four-game lead over Oakland for first place in the AL West.

Texas scored a pair of runs in the first. Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus hit consecutive singles to start the inning. Josh Hamilton followed with a single to right that rolled past Brandon Moss. The ball went all the way to the wall and both runners scored on the error.

Oakland managed to get one run back in the second. Moss walked, moved to second on Carter's walk and raced home on Daric Barton's double to right.

Carter's solo homer to left in the fourth made it a 2-2 game.

Moss made up for his earlier mistake with a nice catch in the seventh. With the bases loaded and two outs, Andrus hit a fly ball to deep right field. Moss got a great jump on the ball and made a good catch at the warning track.

The A's stranded a runner on third in the eighth.

In the 10th, Kottaras smacked a 3-2 pitch from Lowe into the second deck in right.

"I fell behind him and I definitely didn't want to put him on," said Lowe. "It was a fastball and I kind of just pulled it over the middle of the plate."

Grant Balfour was perfect in the bottom half to pick up his 21st save of the season.

Game Notes

The season series is tied, 7-7 ... Each team had seven hits ... The A's struck out 15 times ... Oakland went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven ... Texas went 1-for-6 with RISP and left six men on.






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