Rangers Outslug A’s in Nightcap to Earn Doubleheader Split

Rangers Outslug A’s in Nightcap to Earn Doubleheader Split
Texas Rangers pitcher Kirby Yates (R) and catcher Jonah Heim shake hands after closing out a wild victory over the Oakland A's in the second game of a doubleheader in Oakland, Calif., on May 8, 2024. (D. Ross Cameron/USA TODAY via Field Level Media)
Field Level Media
5/9/2024
Updated:
5/9/2024
0:00

OAKLAND, Calif.—Adolis Garcia, Josh Smith, and Jonah Heim had consecutive RBI hits in the eighth inning Wednesday night to help the Texas Rangers outlast the Oakland Athletics 12–11 and salvage a split of their doubleheader.

The A’s won the first game 9–4, riding a home run apiece and a combined six hits and eight RBIs from Shea Langeliers and Brent Rooker.

Getting home runs from Langeliers, his second of the day, and Tyler Soderstrom, the A’s hung within 7–6 in the nightcap before Texas jumped on Oakland’s fourth pitcher, Kyle Muller, in the decisive eighth.

Two walks put two on with one out before Garcia doubled in a run, Smith singled in a second, and Heim singled in a third, helping the Rangers extend the lead to 10–6. Evan Carter and Nathaniel Lowe produced insurance runs in the ninth with RBI singles.

That allowed the Rangers to survive a four-run uprising by the A’s in the last of the inning that had the potential tying and winning runs aboard when Kirby Yates got Tyler Nevin on a fly ball for the third out.

Yates, who entered with a five-run lead and the bases loaded, recorded the final three outs for his seventh save. Heim finished with two hits, two runs, and three RBIs, the first two of which came in a four-run third that gave Texas the lead for good.

Heim greeted Oakland reliever Michael Kelly with a two-out, bases-loaded single that flipped a one-run deficit into a 3–2 lead, after which a Travis Jankowski single and passed ball on Kyle McCann added a run apiece.

Marcus Semien and Ezequiel Duran chipped in with three hits apiece, while Lowe, Heim, and Jankowski finished with two each for the Rangers, who banged out 16 hits, including 15 singles. Five Rangers scored twice each, and Lowe drove in three runs.

The homers were the ninth of the season for Langeliers and first for Soderstrom, who was promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier in the day. Langeliers hit three homers in a game at Texas earlier this season.

Osvaldo Bido (0–1), also called up from Las Vegas to make his A’s debut, took the loss after giving up four runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four.

David Robertson (2–0), the most effective of seven Texas pitchers, was credited with the win. The bullpen worked five innings in relief of starter Jack Leiter, who allowed six runs (four earned) and seven hits in four innings. He struck out three and did not issue a walk.

Langeliers finished with two hits, two runs, and three RBIs, giving him a single, double, triple, two home runs, three runs scored, and eight RBIs in the two games.

Soderstrom and JJ Bleday drove in two runs each, while Abraham Toro had three hits for the A’s, who completed a 6–4 homestand that began with five straight wins.