Denzel and Co. add to highlight reel as A's defense turns away Rangers

WEST SACRAMENTO -- Max Muncy, in the lineup after all, made a difficult catch while running from third base into short left field near the foul line. Jacob Wilson contributed a diving grab at shortstop and twisting throw to first for an out. Denzel Clarke joined the party with his latest act of reaching over the wall to turn a home run into a long flyout in center.

Jeffrey Springs silenced the Rangers’ bats in his own way Tuesday night, allowing one run and three hits over 6 1/3 innings to provide the arm that went with his teammates’ gloves in the 2-1 victory for the Athletics at Sutter Health Park.

The Athletics' eighth win in their last 11 games was the latest Springs standout performance, two starts after the Astros could manage only one run and two hits in his six innings and one outing after he threw seven shutout innings against the Yankees. Tuesday was an especially meaningful statement, that he is consistently stringing together strong outings for the first time since Tommy John surgery in April 2023, before joining the A’s.

“I think the mindset’s the same,” Springs said after improving to 3-0. “I just have a little more confidence in the stuff. I feel like I worked really hard this offseason to fix some of the issues that I had last year, pitch profiles and whatnot. I just feel like my stuff’s in a much better spot. The mindset’s kind of always been the same. But it helps when the stuff’s a little bit better.”

The kind of defense behind him Tuesday helps, too. Wilson’s play at shortstop to open the top of the second kept a runner off base immediately after Texas sent six batters to the plate in the first and scored a run. When he followed in the bottom of the third with a single to left to score Clarke and Shea Langeliers, the Athletics had the 2-1 edge they would never relinquish.

Clarke made sure of that in the fourth by retreating to the center-field wall, leaping while extending his left arm at the 403-foot marker, and pulling in what became a long out for Andrew McCutchen. The lead was safe for the moment. When the bullpen of Justin Sterner, Hogan Harris, Elvis Alvarado and Mark Leiter Jr. delivered 2 2/3 scoreless innings, it was safe for good.

“I think at this point you can’t really be surprised anymore,” Wilson said of Clarke. “Any time a ball is hit to center field, in my head I always have that there’s a chance that he can somehow catch it. ... It’s incredible to be able to watch him work. It’s hard to be surprised anymore with what he does out there. He’s incredible.”

Muncy batting fifth and in his usual spot at third base meant a good start for the A’s after the scare the night before, when he left the series opener early with a bruised left hand, the result of being hit by a pitch in the fifth inning. The 2021 first-round pick said afterward that the injury could force him to miss Tuesday, but Muncy “woke up this morning, got in and got some treatment, and felt pretty good,” manager Mark Kotsay said, and continued to join left fielder Tyler Soderstrom as the only Athletic to start every game.

Muncy had reason to feel particularly relieved that what he considered a minor injury after the game Monday, despite the outside of the hand already swelling, turned out to be even more uneventful than first thought – being hit in the other hand a year ago caused a fracture that cost him 52 games.

“Any time as a player and you have injuries, especially to your hands that are essential for you to hit with, I’m sure there’s flashbacks,” Kotsay said. “I’m sure there’s thoughts immediately of, ‘How much time am I going to miss? Is it broken?’

“I’m sure that’s all of what played into him not going down to first base once he got hit. Those are the thoughts that immediately come to your mind. For Max, it’s a great sign that there’s just some general soreness to the hand and that he’s back in there today.”