Jed Lowrie’s two-out single in the bottom of the ninth drove home Cristian Pache with winning run as the Oakland Athletics roared back to beat the visiting Texas Rangers 6-5 on Sunday afternoon to salvage the finale of a four-game series between the American League West rivals.
Lowrie’s hit off the Rangers’ Brett Martin (0-4) made a winner out of closer Dany Jimenez (2-2) after he had allowed Texas to tie the game in the top of the ninth on a wild pitch.
Oakland’s comeback produced just its third win in its past nine games and denied the Rangers their first four-game sweep of the Athletics since 1976.
Texas committed a season-high five errors in the game.
The Rangers used the long ball to jump to the front and then to add to their lead. Corey Seager ripped a solo home run in the first off Oakland starter James Kaprielian, and Brad Miller followed with another solo homer in the third.
In the fifth, Miller’s single drove home Nathaniel Lowe, and Marcus Semien added another run with a single to bring in Andy Ibanez and push Texas’ lead to 4-0.
Oakland finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Sean Murphy that plated Lowrie. After a walk chased Rangers’ starter Dane Dunning, Dennis Santana relieved and was greeted by a run-scoring double by Elvis Andrus that scored Murphy. Then a two-out fielding error at third by Ibanez allowed Andrus to cross and cut the Athletics’ deficit to 4-3.
The Athletics took their first lead when they scored twice in the eighth inning. Down 4-3 entering the frame, Chad Pinder singled off Texas reliever John King (the fifth Rangers’ pitcher) to bring home Tony Kemp and tie the game.
Later in the inning with the bases full, Sheldon Neuse grounded to second base, but Semien bounced a throw home, allowing Ramon Laureano to score the lead run from third base.
Oakland was within an out of securing the win, but Jimenez blew his first save of the year when he uncorked a wild pitch to allow Semien to score from third with the tying run in the ninth.
It was the second time in two years that the Rangers have had five errors in a game; before doing so last September, it had been since 2008 since Texas achieved that dubious achievement.
–Field Level Media
