WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Jeff McNeil was 4 for 5 with three RBIs including the go-ahead home run as the Athletics snapped a three-game slide with an 8-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.
Lawrence Butler also went deep for the Athletics, who have lost 12 of their last 15 games.
A hit batter, a single, and a walk loaded the bases for Carlos Cortes in the first inning, and he drove a 1-2 slider from Kumar Rocker to right that emptied the bases and gave the Athletics a 3-0 lead.
It took until the sixth inning for the Rangers to respond. Jake Burger worked the count full and hit a 428-foot, three-run homer to left-center that tied the game and ended Gage Jump’s start for the A’s.
Jump threw 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on three hits while walking four and striking out one.
McNeil got the A’s back in front with a 400-foot homer, his fifth of the season. It was a home run in every MLB ballpark, per Statcast.
Butler tacked on a 411-footer in the seventh to double the Athletics’ lead, and three more came across in the eighth.
Four relievers combined to give up one hit 3 2/3 innings, including Luis Medina (3-3) who earned the win.
Texas was held to four hits, and were 1 for 5 with runners in scoring position. Chase Silseth (3-3) took the loss after allowing one run in one inning.
Up next
Rangers LHP Mackenzie Gore (6-9, 4.43 ERA) starts opposite A’s RHP J.T. Ginn (8-6, 3.41) as the series continues on Saturday.
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