Rangers Lose To A’s
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Oakland Athletics starter Kendall Graveman went to the mound for the first time Wednesday night with a five-run lead. It felt good.
“It’s just fun to watch those guys hit,” Graveman said of his offensive teammates. “It helps relax to be able to have confidence in throwing the fastball early in the count and try to get ahead of people.”
Third baseman Brett Lawrie drilled a grand slam in that first inning and the streaking Athletics never looked back in an 8-2 victory over the Texas Rangers.
Oakland (33-41) has won four straight, eight of its last 10 games and looks to sweep Texas in the finale of the three-game series Thursday at Globe Life Park. The A’s are 19-11 since May 22.
Lawrie’s third career bases-loaded homer — his first with the A’s — highlighted a five-run first inning that effectively buried the Rangers. He finished with three hits.
Oakland catcher Josh Phegley added a two-run homer, his second in as many nights, and first baseman Stephen Vogt returned to the lineup with three hits and two RBIs.
Graveman (4-4) cruised to victory, allowing two runs and eight hits. He went at least seven innings for
the fourth consecutive game but was pulled after allowing the first two Rangers to reach in the eighth.
Graveman has been a different pitcher since being recalled from Triple-A Nashville a month ago.
“It’s the guy we saw in spring training,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “He just needed a little break after a few starts and went down there and made use of his time. Didn’t go down there and hang his head, was motivated to come back, pitched well there. Came back and hasn’t missed a beat.”
Texas (37-35) lost its last four games, matching a season high. The Rangers are just 4-8 against the Athletics this season.
Oakland racked up 14 hits, giving the A’s 26 hits and 16 runs in the first two games of the series. Center fielder Billy Burns also had three hits and scored twice.
Rangers starter Wandy Rodriguez (4-3) suffered through his roughest showing of the season. The soft-tossing left-hander gave up the most runs (eight) in his shortest outing (four innings).
“He didn’t seem to be able to find the range with the breaking ball and they were on his fastball,” Texas manager Jeff Banister said. “Tough night when you get down eight runs early like that, but tried to get as much out of Wandy as we possibly good.”
Texas had won Rodriguez’s last six starts.
“I can’t do anything about it,” Rodriguez said. “All I can do is in the next outing do as well as I can and try to win.”
The A’s jumped on Rodriguez in the first inning, putting five runs on the board. Four came via Lawrie’s two-out grand slam to center.
Rodriguez labored through the 28-pitch inning, walking two and giving up four hits. Three went for extra bases, including doubles from Burns and Vogt.
Burns, who doubled to lead off the second, extended his career-best hitting streak to 14 games. He scored in both innings on hits by Vogt.
Phegley continued the barrage against Rodriguez in the second with a two-run shot to center to make it 8-0.
“I had a big problem with my location today,” Rodriguez said, “and had a lot of breaking balls hanging and fastballs, too.”
The Rangers got two runs back in the fifth on catcher Carlos Corporan’s two-out double.
