Rangers 7 - 0 Athletics
Final
  for this game

Rangers playing to secure second place

Sep 12, 2008 - 10:12 AM Texas (72-75) at Oakland (67-79), 10:05 p.m. EDT

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- The Texas Rangers are playing to achieve something they haven't done in nine years: finish higher than third place in the American League West.

Texas looks to further solidify its place in the standings on Friday when it faces the Oakland Athletics.

Over the past eight seasons, the Rangers have finished in last place five times and third on three occasions. Texas, which is still below .500, is currently in second with a 4 1/2-game lead over third-place Oakland.

The Rangers, who are 9-4 against the Athletics this season, won the series opener, 6-1 on Thursday. The loss snapped Oakland's two-game winning streak, which tied the team's longest since it won four in a row from June 13-17.

Rookie lefthander Matt Harrison (7-3, 5.76 ERA) gets the call for Texas.

The 23-year-old has won two of his last three starts, including last Saturday when he allowed four runs over six innings but received plenty of run support as Texas defeated Boston, 15-8.

Oakland will counter with a rookie lefthander of its own, Greg Smith (7-14, 4.05).

Smith is 2-8 since July 5, but is coming off one of his best outings, throwing seven scoreless innings in a 5-1 victory over Baltimore last Saturday.








  • AL
    FINAL
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    TEXAS 0 1 1 3 0 1 1 0 0 7 10 0
    OAKLAND 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 (FINAL)

    BATTERIES: TEX - MATT HARRISON AND GERALD LAIRD
    OAK - GREG SMITH, JEFF GRAY (6TH), ALAN EMBREE (7TH),
    GIO GONZALEZ (8TH) AND KURT SUZUKI

    HOME RUNS: TEX - HANK BLALOCK (7) OFF

    Sep 13 12:33 AM


  • AL
    AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
    NELSON CRUZ HIT BY JEFF GRAY PITCH WITH BASES LOADED SCORED
    JOAQUIN ARIAS.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, N CRUZ ON FIRST, M BYRD ON SECOND, M YOUNG
    ON THIRD, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 7
    OAKLAND 0 TOP, 7TH
    DUE UP FOR TEXAS: H BLALOCK (.266, 1-FOR-2, SF, HR, 2 RBI)

    Rangers 7, Athletics 0  Top 7, 0 OutsSep 12 11:54 PM


  • AL
    AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
    TRIPLE BY CHRIS DAVIS SCORED GERALD LAIRD.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, C DAVIS ON THIRD, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 6
    OAKLAND 0 TOP, 6TH
    DUE UP FOR TEXAS: T TEAGARDEN (.393, 1-FOR-2, HR, RBI)

    Rangers 6, Athletics 0  Top 6, 0 OutsSep 12 11:32 PM


  • AL
    AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
    DOUBLE BY CHRIS DAVIS SCORED NELSON CRUZ.
    SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, C DAVIS ON SECOND, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 5
    OAKLAND 0 TOP, 4TH
    DUE UP FOR TEXAS: T TEAGARDEN (.407, 1-FOR-1, HR, RBI)

    Rangers 5, Athletics 0  Top 4, 0 OutsSep 12 11:00 PM


  • AL
    AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
    SACRIFICE FLY BY GERALD LAIRD SCORED MARLON BYRD.
    SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, N CRUZ ON SECOND, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 4
    OAKLAND 0 TOP, 4TH
    DUE UP FOR TEXAS: C DAVIS (.270, 0-FOR-1)

    Rangers 4, Athletics 0  Top 4, 0 OutsSep 12 10:58 PM


  • AL
    AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
    SACRIFICE FLY BY HANK BLALOCK SCORED JOSH HAMILTON.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, N CRUZ ON FIRST, M BYRD ON THIRD, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 3
    OAKLAND 0 TOP, 4TH
    DUE UP FOR TEXAS: G LAIRD (.287, 0-FOR-1)

    Rangers 3, Athletics 0  Top 4, 0 OutsSep 12 10:55 PM


  • AL
    AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
    SOLO HOME RUN BY TAYLOR TEAGARDEN (5) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 1
    OUT IN THE 3RD OFF GREG SMITH.
    CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2, OAKLAND 0
    DUE UP FOR TEXAS: J ARIAS (.247, 0-FOR-1)

    Rangers 2, Athletics 0  Top 3, 0 OutsSep 12 10:33 PM


  • AL
    AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
    SOLO HOME RUN BY HANK BLALOCK (7) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH 2
    OUT IN THE 2ND OFF GREG SMITH.
    CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 1, OAKLAND 0
    DUE UP FOR TEXAS: G LAIRD (.288, 6 HR, 40 RBI)

    Rangers 1, Athletics 0  Top 2, 0 OutsSep 12 10:19 PM

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