JJ Bleday hit a three-run home run and drove in four runs, Brent Rooker added a pair of solo homers and the Oakland Athletics opened a three-game series against the Texas Rangers with a 9-2 win on Friday in Arlington, Texas.

Shea Langeliers also homered for Oakland, which has won four of its last five games. JP Sears (11-9) tossed seven strong innings, allowing one run on five hits.

Nathaniel Lowe homered for Texas, which had its three-game win streak snapped. Carson Kelly had two of the Rangers’ seven hits.

Oakland took a 1-0 lead on the second pitch of the game against Jon Gray (5-6). Lawrence Butler grounded out on the first pitch ahead of Rooker’s 416-foot homer.

Lowe tied the game in the second inning with his 11th homer of the season, a leadoff shot into the seats in left-center.

The A’s added to their lead in the third. Gray walked his second batter of the inning before Bleday came to the plate with two outs and deposited a 1-0 slider into the seats in right-center.

Gray allowed four runs on three hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.

Rooker hit his 33rd home run with two outs in the seventh against Dane Dunning. The 397-foot solo shot came on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.

Rooker recorded his fifth career multi-homer game and continued the power surge for Oakland, which has 15 home runs in its last four games.

Sears walked two and struck out four on 97 pitches. He bounced back after allowing seven runs (five earned) over 3 2/3 innings in an 11-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers last Friday.

The Rangers pushed a run across in the eighth against Michel Otanez. Travis Jankowski hit a leadoff single and moved to second on a wild pitch.

With two outs, Lowe hit an infield single and Jankowski scored on Seth Brown’s throwing error.

Oakland added four runs in the ninth. Butler and Bleday each doubled in a run and Langeliers hit his 23rd homer, a 432-foot, two-run blast to center field.

–Field Level Media