The host Texas Rangers snapped out of a collective batting slump, getting home runs from Mark Mathias and Nathaniel Lowe on Thursday afternoon in a 10-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics in Arlington, Texas.
With the win, the Rangers gained a split of the four-game series after dropping two straight games.
The Rangers had been limited to five total runs in the first three games of the series before their 10-hit performance Thursday.
Texas starter Dane Dunning (3-6) picked up the win, giving up two runs on four hits in six innings.
Oakland left-hander Zach Logue (3-7) was tagged for seven runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
The Rangers struck for two runs in the second inning. Adolis Garcia singled and scored on Jonah Heim’s triple. With two out, Mathias homered in his first start with the Rangers.
The Rangers acquired Mathias from the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the Matt Bush trade on Aug. 2, and the infielder was promoted from Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday.
Mathias, who had a pinch-hit, RBI double in Wednesday’s 7-2 loss, was Texas’ designated hitter on Thursday, and he finished with two hits and two runs in the series finale. He scored from third in the sixth on a wild pitch.
In the fourth inning, the A’s made it a game. Seth Brown doubled with one out and Sheldon Neuse belted a two-run home run on a 1-2 Dunning slider, making it 2-2.
Texas recovered quickly, building a two-run lead once again in the fourth. Logue put himself in a bind by hitting Lowe with a pitch and walking Garcia. Heim delivered an RBI single. After Garcia stole third base, Leody Taveras lifted a sacrifice fly to right, giving the Rangers a 4-2 edge.
The Rangers broke the game open in the fifth inning on Lowe’s three-run home run. Marcus Semien walked and Corey Seager singled. Lowe’s drive to right-center was his 17th of the season, and the blast marked the end of the afternoon for Logue.
In the seventh inning, Oakland’s Shea Langeliers doubled and scored on Brett Martin’s wild pitch.
Semien had an RBI single and Seager a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.
–Field Level Media
