Field Level Media
Aug 7, 2021
Matt Olson and Matt Chapman contributed two-RBI doubles to a seven-run third inning Saturday afternoon that put the host Oakland Athletics on the fast track to a 12-3 romp over the Texas Rangers.
A's newcomers Yan Gomes, Josh Harrison and Starling Marte combined for seven hits, four runs and seven RBIs in the win, which was Oakland's third in a row - and the least dramatic of the three, coming after two straight walk-off victories.
Seeking to end a four-game losing skid, the Rangers got an early jump on A's starter Cole Irvin (8-10) when Yonny Hernandez singled and Adolis Garcia smacked a two-run home run, his 24th of the season, in the first inning.
Making just his second career start, right-hander Drew Anderson (0-1) shut out the A's on one hit through two innings before opening the floodgates by walking Elvis Andrus and Mark Canha to open the third.
Marte drove in Andrus with a double before Olson plated Canha and Marte with a double of his own, giving Oakland the lead for good.
After Jed Lowrie was hit by a pitch, Anderson was pulled in favor of Jimmy Herget, who was greeted by an RBI double off the bat of Gomes. Chapman's two-run double and an RBI single by Andrus capped the seven-run explosion.
Anderson was charged with five runs on four hits in two-plus innings. He walked two and did not record a strikeout.
Gomes made it a blowout with a three-run homer, his 11th of the season, in the fourth. Harrison added a two-run shot, his seventh, in the fifth.
Irvin bounced back from Garcia's homer to complete seven innings of two-run, four-hit ball. He walked two and struck out four.
Garcia made it a two-hit, three-RBI day with a run-scoring single in the eighth, again scoring Hernandez, who was aboard following his second single.
Olson finished with four hits, Harrison three, and Chapman, Marte, Gomes and Andrus two apiece for Oakland, which collected 16 hits. Olson scored three times, while Gomes led A's run-producers with four RBIs.
--Field Level Media