Arlington, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Robinson Chirinos hit a two-run home run to advance the Texas Rangers in a 5-4 win over the Oakland Athletics in the additional of a season-ending three-game series.
Oakland has yet to assure the final playoff atom in the American League, as the accident has them one bold advanced of Seattle activity to the final day of the approved season. The Mariners exhausted the Angels in 11 innings Saturday night. If the teams end in a tie, there will be a one-game playoff at Safeco Field Monday to actuate the additional agrarian agenda team.
Jake Smolinski hit a abandoned home run and account alert while Adrian Beltre and Rougned Odor anniversary collection in a run for the Rangers, who came into the bold accepting won 12 of their antecedent 14 games.
Scott Baker pitched four-plus innings and accustomed two runs on four hits with bristles strikeouts. Spencer Patton (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning to aces up his aboriginal career win.
Josh Donaldson was 3-for-4 with a abandoned home run and two runs denticulate while Josh Reddick additionally had three hits with an RBI and a run denticulate for the Athletics, who accept absent four of their aftermost bristles games.
Jeff Samardzija (5-6) accustomed bristles runs on eight hits over seven innings to booty the loss.
Donaldson's two-out abandoned adjudicator in the aboriginal got the A's on the board, but the Rangers answered in the home with RBI singles from Odor and Beltre for a 2-1 lead.
Smolinski gave Texas a 3-1 advance in the fourth with his third home run of the season, but a run-scoring bifold comedy from Nate Freiman in the fifth got the Rangers aback aural one.
In the seventh, Smolinski led off with a distinct and was still there three batters after back Chirinos launched a angle over the bank in centermost for his 13th home run and a 5-2 advantage.
Oakland fabricated it a one-run bold in the eighth on RBI singles from Reddick and Jed Lowrie. Alberto Callaspo, though, flied out to end the inning, stranding runners on aboriginal and third.
Nick Punto singled with one out in the ninth off Neftali Feliz and was replaced by Billy Burns, who got himself bent burglary second. Coco Crisp again formed a walk, but Feliz addled out Jonny Gomes for his 13th save of the season.
Game Notes
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