ARLINGTON, Texas—JP Sears carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and combined with three relievers on a one-hitter, Seth Brown homered to supply the game’s only run, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers 1–0 on Thursday.
The A’s, who finished with the worst record in Major League Baseball last season, winning only 50 games, took two of three in the mid-week series from the defending World Series champion Rangers. Oakland has won four of its past five games and capped a 4–2 road trip after having gone 1–6 on a season-opening homestand.
Sears (1–1) allowed leadoff walks in the first, second, and fifth innings before Adolis García ended the no-hit bid by lining an 0–2 sweeper to left field for a one-out single in the seventh. The 28-year-old left-hander was then pulled after having thrown 88 pitches. He struck out five, including 2023 World Series most valuable player Corey Seager three times.
Sears’ longest career start lasted 7 1/3 innings, coming on July 4, 2023, in a 1–0 win at Detroit. He said he realized he had a no-hitter in either the fourth or fifth inning.
“It’s something that’s hard to ignore,” he said. “But pitch by pitch, you don’t think about it when you’re out there.”
After García’s single, Austin Adams hit Jonah Heim with a pitch. Pinch-hitter Jared Walsh then hit a blooper between the mound and second base. Second baseman Zack Gelof slid while attempting to make the catch, but dropped the ball. Adams picked up the ball and threw to third base to force García for the second out. Third baseman Abraham Toro then threw to second, forcing Heim to complete a bizarre inning-ending double play.
“No one was talking, so I just called it,” Gelof said. “Hit my glove. I saw Austin standing right there. He knew what to do.”
A’s Manager Mark Kotsay called the play the likely “momentum-shifter in the game right there.”
“You’ve just got to be ready in case they don’t call [the infield-fly rule],” Rangers Manager Bruce Bochy said. “And if it hits the ground, you’ve got to take off.”
Adams and Lucas Erceg didn’t allow hits in their relief stints, and Mason Miller pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.
It was the second time this week that Texas was hitless until the sixth inning. Houston’s Ronel Blanco threw 5 2/3 no-hit innings in the Astros’ 3–1 win on Sunday night.
The Rangers’ Jon Gray (0–1) gave up two singles in addition to Brown’s homer and walked one with nine strikeouts. The 32-year-old right-hander had pitched only 3 2/3 innings in each of his previous two starts.
Brown’s first homer this season, on a 1–0 change-up in the second inning, was pulled 378 feet, just inside the right-field foul pole.
The Rangers were shut out for the first time this season. They lost their 2023 regular-season finale 1–0 at Seattle, a defeat that cost them the American League West title.
A’s rookie catcher Kyle McCann singled in the third inning for his first major-league hit.
Trainer’s Room
A’s: Outfielder Brent Rooker (costochondral cartilage injury) was placed on the 10-day injured list.Up Next
A’s: Right-hander Paul Blackburn (1–0, 0.00 ERA) will take a season-opening, 13-inning scoreless streak into Friday’s home start against Washington right-hander Jake Irvin (0–1, 5.73).Rangers: Right-hander Dane Dunning (1–1, 4.15) will face Houston righty J.P. France (0–1, 4.76) in a rematch of American League Championship Series opponents in the opener of a three-game series on Friday at Minute Maid Park. The teams split four games last weekend at Globe Life Field.
