Rangers Continue To Heat Up on West Coast Road Trip
The Texas Rangers won their third straight game, thanks to a two-run rally in the top of the eighth to beat the Oakland Athletics 2-0, on Saturday afternoon.
The Rangers (5-9) are on their hottest streak of the season and claimed the victory — and clinched the series win — while overcoming a great start from Oakland’s (8-8) Frankie Montas, who limited the Rangers to one hit before the pivotal eighth inning.
Rangers starter Martin Perez (0-0) and three Rangers relievers — Brock Burke (2-0), Brett Martin and Matt Bush — held the Athletics scoreless and gave up just three hits. Bush recorded his first save of the season.
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Montas (2-2) was cruising after seven innings and even no-hit the Rangers into the fifth. But after he retired outfielder Kole Calhoun to start the top of the eighth, but then gave up a single to right to outfielder Adolis Garcia. He moved to third base after designated hitter Willie Calhoun poked through a single, and the Rangers brought in Eli White to run for Calhoun.
That forced Oakland to remove Montas from the game, who ended up giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits, with one walk and eight strikeouts. Domingo Acevedo came on to induce a ground-out from Rangers pinch hitter Jonah Heim.
With two away, Acevedo wasn’t as fortunate against outfielder Brad Miller, who hit an opposite field single to left field. That scored Garcia and White, though the second run wasn’t without dispute.
White was originally called out at the plate, but the play was reviewed and it was determined that White beat the tag, giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead.
Montas had a great outing for Oakland, but Rangers starter Martin Perez (0-0) was his equal, even though he didn’t pitch quite as long or figure in the decision.
Perez lasted six innings, his longest start of the season, and it was impressive. He gave up just two hits, while walking one and striking out five. The only real danger he faced was in the bottom of the fifth, as he gave up a two-out walk to Christian Lopes and a single to Cristian Pache. Nick Allen then flew out to end the inning.
It’s exactly the kind of start the Rangers are craving from the left-hander, who spent 2012-18 with the Rangers before spending 2019 with Minnesota and 2020-21 with Boston.
After Perez left, Burke, Martin and Bush gave up one hit, walked one and struck out three to close out the game.
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Montas carried a no-hitter into the fifth, as Kole Calhoun broke it up with a one-out single. That led to the one spot of trouble that Montas faced before the eighth.
After giving up the single, he hit Garcia on the left wrist to put two runners on base. Montas then induced Willie Calhoun into a ground ball to Lopes, who forced out Garcia and second. But Allen’s throw to first wasn’t in time to double up Calhoun.
A's first baseman Christian Bethancourt threw to third base in an attempt to try and get Kole Calhoun, who rounded third a bit too far. He dove back to third and was tagged by Sheldon Neuse. The third-base umpire called Calhoun out, but Rangers manager Chris Woodward challenged the play. After a long review, the play was upheld, but that didn’t stop Woodward from having an animated conversation with the home-plate umpire after the inning.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard
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