Wednesday night’s three-run eighth inning saw successive RBI hits from Adolis Garcia, Josh Smith, and Jonah Heim, which allowed the Texas Rangers to hold off the host Oakland Athletics 12-11 and salvage a split of their doubleheader. Shea Langeliers and Brent Rooker combined for six hits and eight RBIs to help the A’s win the opening game 9-4. In the nightcap, the A’s trailed 7-6 thanks to home runs from Tyler Soderstrom (his second of the day) and Langeliers, but Texas hit Oakland’s fourth pitcher, Kyle Muller, in the crucial eighth. The Rangers added to their lead with a 10-6 score after two walks put two on with one out. Garcia then doubled, Smith singled, and Heim singled. With RBI doubles from Evan Carter and Nathaniel Lowe in the ninth, the Rangers were able to fend off a four-run rally by the A’s in the final inning, which had the chance to tie and win the game when Kirby Yates got Tyler Nevin to fly out. With two singles, two runs, and three RBIs in the end, Heim gave Texas a decisive lead in the third inning with four runs scored. With two outs and the bases loaded, he welcomed Oakland reliever Michael Kelly with a single that made it 3-2 instead of a one-run deficit. Travis Jankowski’s single and Kyle Muller’s passed ball both drove in further runs. For the Rangers, who pounded out 16 hits (15 singles), Lowe, Heim, and Jankowski finished with two hits apiece, while Marcus Semien and Ezequiel Duran added three hits apiece. Lowe drove in three runs, and five Rangers scored twice. After being promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier in the day, Soderstrom hit his first home run of the season, while Langeliers hit his eighth of the year. In his A’s debut, Osvaldo Bido (0-1) was also called up from Las Vegas, but he ended up with the loss after allowing four runs on three hits in two and a half innings. He had two walks and four strikeouts. The most successful of the seven Texas pitchers, David Robertson (2-0), was given the victory. Jack Leiter, the starter, gave up seven hits and six runs (four earned) in four innings before the bullpen came in and worked five innings. He did not give up a walk and struck out three batters. After completing the two games with two hits, two runs, and three RBIs, Langeliers finished with a single, double, triple, two home runs, three runs, and eight RBIs. The A’s ended a 6-4 homestand that started with five straight victories behind two home runs each from Soderstrom and JJ Bleday and three hits from Abraham Toro.
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