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Volquez, Rangers top Athletics

Sep 8, 2007 - 5:01 AM ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- Edinson Volquez pitched six scoreless innings and Frank Catalanotto drove in three runs as the Texas Rangers defeated the Oakland A's, 5-3, on Friday.

Volquez (2-0) surrendered only two hits with two walks and five strikeouts in only his second start of the season. The righthander began the season at Class A and stopped at every level of the minors on his way to the major leagues.

"I know I'm pitching better than last year," Volquez, who started eight games for the Rangers in 2006, said. "Last year everything was so fast for me and this year I know what I'm doing and I'm just concentrating on making my pitches."

The Rangers bullpen combination of John Rheineckier, Frank Francisco, C.J. Wilson and Joaquin Benoit pitched the final three innings with Benoit recording his fourth save of the year.

"Volquez had a good tempo early and the off-speed stuff was working for him. When they started sitting on that he went to the hard stuff. The kid is showing that he can pitch at the major league level," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

Catalanotto, only a double away from hitting for the cycle, homered to leadoff the game for the third time this season. He added a triple in the fourth and a single in the fifth inning.

Sammy Sosa pinch hit for Catalanotto in the eighth denying him a shot at the cycle.

"I thought I'd get one more at-bat," Catalanotto said. "You dont' get many opportunities to go for a cycle and I'm a bit disappointed but somewhere down the road maybe there will be another opportunity."

Leading off the first, Catalanotto deposited Oakland starter Dan Haren's (14-7) second pitch of the game into the rightfield bleachers, for his tenth homerun of the season.

The Rangers touched Haren for three runs in the fourth as Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a one-out double over Shannon Stewart's head in left-center field. Ramon Vazquez followed with a double to right scoring Saltalamacchia.

Catalanotto notched his second RBI of the night with a triple off the right field wall that was misplayed by Jack Cust, allowing Vazquez to score.

After an Ian Kinsler strikeout, Michael Young singled home Catalanotto.

"Haren didn't have his stuff tonight," Catalanotto said. "He was giving us a lot of pitches to hit and was hanging it up in the zone."

Texas struck again against Haren in the fifth as Hank Blalock led off the inning with a triple down the left field line that rolled to the corner and, two outs later, Catalanotto hit an infield single scoring Blalock for his third RBI of the night, putting Texas ahead 5-0.

"Everybody goes through stretches where they struggle," Haren said. "When you're going good it's easy, this is when you earn your money. My stuff wasn't as sharp as it has been. I didn't have much and it looked like it. And it's hard when you're not playing for anything...maybe that's part of it."

Ian Kinsler and Marlon Byrd each had three hits for the Rangers who are now 10-2 in their last twelve games and only two games behind the A's for third place in the American League West.

Haren, who lost for the third time in his last four decisions, allowed five runs on 12 hits in four and two-third innings. It was Haren's shortest outing of the season.

"Haren's been so good for so long that when he gives up a few runs it stands out," Oakland manager Bob Geren said. "I don't think he got hit that hard. He seemed to give up a lot of hits but they had a lot of balls that found holes. He's still leading the league in ERA and that stands out to me more than wins and losses ... especially on a team that's below .500."

The Oakland pitching staff has now allowed 85 runs in the last 13 games.

Oakland's first runs came in the eighth after Francisco loaded the bases. Jack Hannahan scored on a Jack Cust flyout to left and an error by shortstop Michael Young on a line drive by Mike Piazza scored Shannon Stewart.

The A's threatened again in the ninth with runners at first and third and no one out. Hannahan scored Nick Swisher with a sacrifice fly but Joaquin Benoit came in for Texas to record the final two outs.

Mark Ellis had a hit and three walks for the A's who had only four hits on the night. Ellis is hitting .439 (18-41) with a homerun and seven RBI in his last 10 games against the Rangers.