Field Level Media
Jul 27, 2019
Willie Calhoun homered, doubled and drove in two runs, while Lance Lynn struck out eight in six innings en route to his 13th win as the Texas Rangers made it two in a row over the host Oakland Athletics with a 5-2 victory Friday night.
Asdrubal Cabrera had three hits and two RBIs for the Rangers, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win for just the third time in their last 12 games.
Down 2-0 after the A's scored single runs in the first and third innings, the Rangers took the lead for good against Oakland starter Daniel Mengden (5-2) in a three-run fourth that featured two-out RBI doubles by Nomar Mazara and Calhoun, and a following RBI single by Cabrera.
Texas tacked on single runs in the sixth on Cabrera's second run-producing hit, and in the eighth on Calhoun's leadoff homer, his sixth of the season.
Lynn (13-6), who tied Justin Verlander for the AL lead with 13 wins, got stronger as he went along, striking out five of the last 11 batters he faced and allowing just a fifth-inning single to Marcus Semien after falling behind 2-0 in the third.
In snapping a two-game personal losing streak, Lynn was charged with two runs (one earned) on four hits in his six innings. He walked two.
Jesse Chavez, Jose Leclerc and Chris Martin worked an inning apiece to complete the combined five-hitter, with Martin surviving a shaky ninth to record his fourth save.
The A's brought the tying run to the plate with no one out in the ninth after a double by Mark Canha and a walk to Ramon Laureano. But Martin struck out Khris Davis and Robbie Grossman before getting Chris Herrmann to ground out to end it.
Mengden was pulled one out into the sixth inning, having allowed four runs and three hits. He walked four and struck out five.
The loss was Mendgen's first since his first start of the season on May 12.
Calhoun and Mazara scored twice apiece for the Rangers, who improved their record on the season against Oakland to 5-6.
Semien and Canha had two hits each for the A's, who entered the four-game series with 11 wins in their last 16 games before falling 11-3 on Thursday.
--Field Level Media