Robbie Grossman scored on a wild pitch in the seventh inning and the Texas Rangers held on for a 3-2 win over the Oakland Athletics in the second game of their three-game series on Saturday evening in Arlington, Texas.
Leody Taveras had two hits and an RBI for Texas (77-64), which ended a four-game losing streak and moved within 1 1/2 games of the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays for the second and third American League wild-card spots.
Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in his second start since spending six weeks on the injured list with a forearm strain. He allowed three hits, struck out three and walked two.
A’s starter Sean Newcomb blanked the Rangers on one hit over four innings in his first start of the season following five relief appearances. The 30-year-old left-hander struck out five and walked two.
Zack Gelof hit a game-tying, two-run homer in the seventh for Oakland (44-98), which had won two games in a row and five of its last seven.
Oakland reliever Lucas Erceg (3-4) got the first two batters out in the seventh, but then issued three straight walks. Francisco Perez came in and bounced an 0-2 slider to pinch hitter Jonathan Ornelas and the ball got away from catcher Shea Langeliers, allowing Grossman to score for a 3-2 lead.
Will Smith (2-5) got the final out of the seventh and worked a scoreless eighth before Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his third save in six opportunities since he was acquired from the Kansas City Royals on June 30.
Martin Perez and Chris Stratton had combined for 4 1/3 innings of shutout relief when Stratton gave up the two-run homer to Gelof just inside the left field foul pole with two outs in the seventh to tie the score 2-2.
The Rangers broke up a scoreless tie by scoring two runs in the sixth.
Grossman had one of his three walks with one out and Mitch Garver followed with a looping single to center. Nathaniel Lowe then rolled a single up the middle, scoring Grossman from second for a 1-0 lead.
With two outs and runners on the corners, Taveras came through with another single up the middle to stretch the lead to 2-0.
–Field Level Media
