OAKLAND, Calif. — Brent Rooker added to an already spectacular first season with the Athletics by delivering the primary game-ending hit of his profession to snap Oakland’s five-game shedding streak.
Rooker launched a three-run homer off Brock Burke within the backside of the tenth inning, rallying the A’s to a 9-7 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday evening.
“That was really cool. It’s something you dream of as a kid growing up,” Rooker stated. “That’s something I’ll always remember.”
Esteury Ruiz homered and drove in 4 runs for Oakland. Kevin Smith and Carlos Pérez additionally related for the most important league-worst A’s (9-31), who gained on a walk-off hit for the third time this season.
This one got here after Rangers pinch-hitter Adolis García delivered a go-ahead single off Zach Jackson within the high of the tenth. Former A’s shortstop Marcus Semien adopted with an RBI single to offer Texas a two-run lead earlier than Oakland got here again.
“For either team, losing that game is a heartbreak,” A’s supervisor Mark Kotsay stated. “You could have easily saw an offense go out there in that (10th) inning and lay down and just gone through the motions, but that didn’t happen. They continue to show their fight. For Rook, what a moment. We’re fortunate to have him in this lineup.”
PHOTOS: A’s rally for 4 in tenth, beat Rangers 9-7 on Rooker’s 3-run homer
Robbie Grossman, the veteran Texas outfielder who spent two seasons with the A’s, homered and had an RBI double in entrance of one other small crowd of 6,575 on the Coliseum. Jonah Heim added two hits to increase his hitting streak to 11 video games. Ezequiel Duran doubled twice.
“Just one of those games,” Rangers supervisor Bruce Bochy stated. “We just couldn’t quite get that big hit to put it out of reach. We kept putting up one run. We were missing that crooked number, and had some men on base there.”
Ruiz’s RBI single off Burke (2-1) drove in Nick Allen, who started the tenth inning as the automated runner at second base. JJ Bleday added one other single earlier than Rooker’s eleventh residence run. The 28-year-old outfielder was mobbed by teammates as he crossed residence plate.
“That’s probably close to as good and clean as I can hit a ball,” stated Rooker, who went into the sport main the majors in OPS (1.072) and slugging proportion. “That one felt good. I took a couple of his best fastballs and I was able to foul them off. At that point I felt pretty comfortable that I was going to at least be able to hit something hard.”
The A’s compelled further innings after trailing 5-4 within the eighth. Ruiz, who homered on Martín Peréz’s first pitch of the sport, singled in Jace Peterson with the tying run.
Shintaro Fujinami (1-4) retired two batters for his first profession win.
The loss prevented the AL West-leading Rangers (23-15) from matching their greatest document by way of 38 video games since 2013.
The frantic ending got here after Peréz’s uneven evening. Peréz allowed a house run to Ruiz on his first pitch and gave up two others, matching his profession excessive. The left-hander permitted eight hits in 5 innings with three strikeouts.
Texas trailed 1-0 and 2-1 earlier than Grossman’s RBI double within the fourth drove in Bubba Thompson. Semien was thrown out on the plate on the play after third base coach Tony Beasley put up the cease signal earlier than waving him residence.
A’s starter Ken Waldichuk struck out 5 in 5 innings however allowed seven hits and 4 runs (three earned) with 5 walks.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Adrián Martínez (proper elbow) was scheduled to throw 35-45 pitches in a rehab begin with Triple-A Las Vegas. … Ramón Laureano cleared concussion protocol and began in left area.
UP NEXT
Rangers RHP Jon Gray (2-1, 3.82 ERA) begins Saturday and is coming off his greatest outing of the season, when he allowed one run and 4 hits over seven innings in opposition to Seattle on Monday. Athletics LHP JP Sears (0-3, 5.54) is searching for his first win in 4 profession begins in opposition to Texas.
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