ARLINGTON -- Shin-Soo Choo tied a career high with his 22nd home run, and the Rangers snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Athletics on Friday night at Globe Life Park.
The loss was only the Athletics' sixth in their last 22 games, and they are still 39-38 since July 3. But it cut short their attempt at catching the Rangers in the American League West standings, as they will finish in last place for the third straight year.
Choo's home run was a two-run shot in the fifth inning against Athletics starter and losing pitcher Raul Alcantara. He also had 22 home runs in 2010 with the Indians and in '15 with the Rangers.
"I think Choo has had an outstanding season," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "If you look at the power numbers, the on-base, the walks. He's played outstanding defense. He has been a solid player for us."
Martin Perez earned the victory for the Rangers. He started out with six scoreless innings before giving up a three-run home run to designated hitter Renato Nunez. It was the first career Major League home run for the Pacific Coast League All-Star who was called up on Sept. 5.
"Amazing," Nunez said. "I imagine that in my dreams all my life, so I was pretty excited that happened today. I was pretty happy about it. Every time I get a chance to play, I give it 100 percent. We didn't win, but that helped the team a little bit, and that's all I want, to help the team."

Nunez also came to the plate in the eighth with the bases loaded and two out. But reliever Jake Diekman struck him out to preserve the Rangers' two-run lead.
Alex Claudio worked a scoreless ninth inning for his 11th save.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
300, 100 for Andrus: After Choo walked with one out in the first, Elvis Andrus doubled to left. They both scored on a single by Nomar Mazara, who has 99 RBIs on the season. The double gave Andrus 300 total bases for the season and the run was his 100th. Both are career highs. He is the third Rangers player in club history to have at least 300 total bases, 100 runs scored and 25 stolen bases in a season.
"If you were in the dugout and saw the reaction ... he was running as good as he did at the beginning of the year," Banister said. "Huge plus for him, something he wanted to get."
Four-star catch by DeShields: Rangers center fielder Delino DeShields raced in and made a diving catch on Josh Phegley's shallow pop. Statcast™ gave it a four-star catch as DeShields had to cover 83 feet in 4.6 seconds on a play with a 32 percent catch probability.
"I was going pretty hard at it," DeShields said. "I'm always going hard for balls I might get to ... sometimes the ball hangs up there. I didn't want to give up on a ball that I might make a play on."

LOWRIE SETS OAKLAND DOUBLES RECORD
Jed Lowrie hit his 48th double in the fourth inning. That set a new Oakland A's record in passing Jason Giambi, who had 47 in 2001. The last Athletics player to get 48 in a season was Wally Moses in 1937 when the franchise was in Philadelphia. The franchise record is 53, set by Al Simmons in 1926.
"That's almost 50 years of some really good players," Lowrie said, "so to be on top of any offensive category is pretty cool." 
"I was so fixated on 50, that I wasn't aware that it was an Oakland record," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "That's pretty impressive. Some pretty good players have run through Oakland. It's a real testament to what kind of hitter he is and how hard he's worked this year to be durable and play as many games as he has. Congrats to him."
QUOTABLE
"He said I was attempting to go to second. I did but I thought if you stayed in foul territory, you would be OK. I didn't know ... it is what it is." -- DeShields, after reaching first on a throwing error in the third inning, but then getting tagged out making a motion of heading for second

WHAT'S NEXT
Athletics: Right-hander Daniel Gossett will be on the mound to face the Rangers at 5:05 p.m. PT Saturday at Globe Life Park. Gossett is 1-4 with a 6.81 ERA since being recalled from Triple-A on Aug. 23. This is his first career start against the Rangers.
Rangers: Right-hander Andrew Cashner pitches against the Athletics at 7:05 p.m. CT Saturday. Cashner currently ranks ninth in the AL with a 3.42 ERA. He is 7-4 with a 3.02 ERA in his last 14 starts.
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