Rangers 6, Athletics 2
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Right fielder Nelson Cruz hit a three-run home run and saved two runs with a diving catch Wednesday afternoon at the O.co Coliseum, leading the Texas Rangers to a 6-2 victory over the Oakland A's.
After losing five straight games at the Coliseum, the Rangers have now won two straight as they took two-of-three from the A's to capture the series.
Rangers right-hander Alexi Ogando got the win, allowing two runs on four hits over six innings. He improved to 4-2, winning his first career start at the Coliseum. Ogando held the A's without a run or hit over the first five innings before giving up a run in the sixth.
A's right-hander Dan Straily had another rough outing, allowing four earned runs on four hits and lasting just 4.1 innings. Straily walked four, hit two batters, threw a wild pitch and struggled to throw strikes throughout his brief outing. He threw 87 pitches but only 47 for strikes.
The Rangers took a 2-0 lead in the third and made it 6-0 in the fifth. With two outs in the third, Leonys Martin singled and stole second. After Straily hit Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus to load the base, Lance Berkman lined a two-run, broken-bat single to center.
With one out in the fifth, Andrus reached on a throwing error by A's shortstop Jed Lowrie. He stole second then, after Berkman walked, stole third. Beltre brought Andrus home with a single to center that ended Straily's day.
Cruz belted reliever Jesse Chavez' first pitch over the left-center wall for a three-run home run.
The A's scored a run in the sixth when Eric Sogard hit a leadoff double, moved to second on a ground out and came home on Derek Norris' sacrifice fly. Lowrie and Yoenis Cespedes followed with back-to-back singles.
Then Brandon Moss sent a drive to right center, but Cruz ranged far to his right and made a diving catch of a ball that appeared headed to the wall, ending the inning.
NOTES: A's left-hander Brett Anderson still has soreness in his sprained right ankle, and a date for his next start is still unknown, manager Bob Melvin said. "Brett won't pitch tomorrow and maybe not in the foreseeable future. We're just not past the soreness that he's getting." Anderson has been on the disabled list since May 1. ... A's outfielder Chris Young (strained left quad) remained on the disabled list Wednesday, the first day he was eligible to be activated. He'll likely play a rehab game at Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday and "hopefully" be activated Friday, Melvin said. ... A's center fielder Coco Crisp (strained left hamstring) was activated from the disabled list and started against Texas. The A's cleared a roster spot for Crisp late Tuesday night by sending outfielder Michael Taylor to Triple-A Sacramento. ... The Rangers signed former Toronto right-hander Scott Richmond to a minor-league contract and assigned him to extended spring training. Richmond, 33, pitched earlier this year for the Lotte Giants in the Korean Professional League. ... Rangers catcher A.J. Pierzynski (strained right oblique muscle) said he expects to play a rehab game Sunday for Double-A Frisco and hopes to be in the starting lineup for Texas on Tuesday, the first day he's eligible to come off the disabled list. Rangers manager Ron Washington, however, said he wants to see how Pierzynski handles live batting practice Thursday before scheduling a rehab assignment.