A's turn tide on Rangers with 7-run 8th inning
ARLINGTON -- The Athletics scored seven runs in the eighth inning and rallied for a 7-5 victory over the Rangers on Friday night.
The Rangers led 5-0 going into the eighth after getting six innings from starter Colby Lewis and one from reliever Alex Claudio. But Mark Canha led off the inning with his third home run of the season to get the Athletics started against Rangers reliever Shawn Tolleson.
"Canha getting us going with the big homer woke us up a little bit and we just pounced on it," said A's catcher Stephen Vogt.
Video: OAK@TEX: Canha crushes a solo homer for A's first run
A single by Eric Sogard, a one-out walk to Marcus Semien and a single by Vogt made it 5-2. Tolleson struck out Billy Butler, and Rangers manager Jeff Banister brought in Roman Mendez. He couldn't get the third out.
Instead Max Muncy walked to load the bases and Josh Reddick singled to center to make it 5-4. Neftali Feliz took over for Mendez, but Brett Lawrie doubled home two runs and Canha singled to center to make it 7-5.
"I'm just trying to put the ball in play, try to move the runners," Lawrie said. "He was quick-pitching me a couple times, a couple fastball quick-pitches, a couple slider quick-pitches, and then just back to regular windup. So that's one of those at-bats where you just kinda got to lock it in and keep fouling pitches off and fouling pitches off and just keep grinding."
Video: OAK@TEX: Lawrie laces a go-ahead double, scoring two
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Choo breaks hitless streak: Rangers right fielder Shin-Soo Choo was hitless in his last 21 at-bats when he came up with one out in the fourth. The Rangers were leading 2-0 on home runs by Kyle Blanks and Prince Fielder. With Adrian Beltre on first, Choo doubled off the center-field wall. Beltre went to third on the play and ended up scoring on Jake Smolinski's sacrifice fly. More >
Video: OAK@TEX: Choo pounds a double off the wall in center
Another quality start: Though Scott Kazmir allowed as many runs (three) as he did in his first four starts, the lefty still notched his fifth quality start in as many tries this season, completing six innings. Kazmir allowed three hits, two of them home runs, and walked one with six strikeouts. He has a 1.62 ERA.
Feliz can't get four-out save: In danger of seeing a five-run lead disappear in one inning, Banister brought in Feliz with two on and two out in the eighth. The Rangers were leading 5-4 but Feliz couldn't stop the bleeding. Instead he gave up the go-ahead double to Lawrie and the RBI single to Canha. The Rangers only got out of the inning because Canha was tagged out trying to steal second base. More >
Video: OAK@TEX: Crew Chief Review of a Rules Check in 8th
QUOTABLE
"Just beautiful, beautiful baseball from us tonight." -- Vogt
"This is a tough loss. There is no real good loss, but this one stings a little bit." -- Banister
Video: OAK@TEX: Banister discusses tough game for bullpen
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Blanks' home run was the first for the Rangers from the fifth spot in the batting order. The Rangers entered the night as one of three teams without a home run from the No. 5 spot.
Video: OAK@TEX: Blanks wraps a solo shot around the pole
WHAT'S NEXT
Athletics: Drew Pomeranz gets the start for the A's in Saturday's middle matchup at Globe Life Park. The left-hander has a 4.50 ERA through his first four starts, and he's pitched past the fifth inning in just one of them.
Rangers: Nick Martinez pitches for Texas at 7:05 p.m. CT. Martinez had a 0.35 ERA in four starts in April, the lowest ERA by a Rangers pitcher in any month in club history.
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