ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Oakland Athletics kept up their power surge and took advantage of Texas’ bullpen struggles to get a rare late-inning comeback win from an eight-run deficit.
Khris Davis’ three-run homer in the 10th inning capped the Athletics’ big rally in a 13-10 win over the Rangers on Tuesday night.
Davis’ went deep against Austin Bibens-Dirkx (2-3) as the Athletics scored 11 runs over the final four innings to rally from 10-2 down. It was Oakland’s fourth homer of the night — their club-record third consecutive game with that many. Oakland’s 92 homers on the road lead the majors.
“Honestly, it didn’t feel like we were down that many runs,” Davis said. “We were just playing the game like we’re supposed to. This team is really good.”
The last time the Athletics rallied from eight runs down after six innings came on Aug. 30, 1939, when the team was based in Philadelphia.
The Rangers, meanwhile, were 471-0 in franchise history when leading by at least eight runs in the seventh inning or later, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Oakland scored three in the seventh and four more with just one hit in the eighth. Stephen Piscotty’s solo homer leading off the ninth tied the score against Keone Kela, who blew his first save of the season in 24 chances.
Elvis Andrus hit his first career grand slam and tied his career high with five RBIs for Texas, but his error in the eighth inning on a potential inning-ending double play ball aided Oakland’s comeback.
“Seven walks late, a costly error,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “In winning situations, you’ve got to be able to throw strikes and get hitters out.”
Marcus Semien and Jed Lowrie also drove in three runs each for the A’s in a spirited comeback against a wild Rangers bullpen. Brandon Mann walked the first two batters of the seventh and both came around on Semien’s two-run double in a three-run inning.
Jake Diekman then walked the bases loaded in the eighth, and Andrus booted Semien’s hard grounder to score one run, then Diekman hit Nick Martini to push across another run.
Kela relieved and gave up a two-run single to Lowrie before getting out of the inning with a one-run lead. But Piscotty connected on the reliever’s first pitch of the ninth to tie it.
“Kind of running out of words to describe these comebacks,” Piscotty said. “That was a special one. In the seventh, we got some runs to get it semi-close and then the huge eighth put us right there. We could taste it.”
Andrus hit his grand slam off reliever J.B. Wendelken in the Rangers’ six-run sixth that gave them their eight-run lead. But that was Texas’ last hit of the game as the A’s bullpen gave up just one walk over the final 14 hitters.
Jeurys Familia (2-0) pitched two perfect innings for his second win in two appearances for the A’s since being acquired from the Mets on Saturday. Blake Treinen pitched the 10th for his 25th save in 29 chances.
Willie Calhoun’s first home run of the season snapped a 2-2 tie in the fifth, and Joey Gallo hit his 25th homer of the season on reliever Ryan Buchter’s first pitch of the sixth as Texas batted around.
Rangers starter Mike Minor needed 104 pitches to get through five innings, but he gave up just two runs on solo homers by Mark Canha and Lowrie. He crossed the 100-inning mark for the season after pitching only 77 2/3 innings in the previous three seasons combined.
Oakland’s Frankie Montas, recalled from Triple-A Nashville earlier in the day, gave up five hits and four runs in five innings.
MOUND WOES
Texas pitchers have given up 53 runs in five games since the All-Star break, and that includes a shutout Sunday against Cleveland. Nothing Banister has tried has seemed to work.
In a 16-3 loss to Cleveland on Saturday, Bibens-Dirkx gave up 11 runs, a club record for a reliever. And the Rangers used outfielders Carlos Tocci and Ryan Rua to pitch in the Athletics’ 15-3 win on Monday.
Diekman’s three earned runs allowed swelled his ERA to 7.94 at home, compared to 0.47 on the road.
INAUSPICIOUS MOVE
The Rangers added some bullpen depth by recalling LHP Mann from Triple-A Round Rock. To make room for Mann, Delino DeShields was sent down to Round Rock.
And while Mann lasted only four batters and gave up three runs, DeShields’ replacement in center field, Tocci, was hit on the right hand by Montas’ pitch in the fifth inning. However, X-rays were negative and Tocci remained in the game and singled in a run in the sixth inning.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: The team’s opening day starter, Kendall Graveman, will have Tommy John surgery, which will be performed by Texas Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister. Graveman had an 8.89 ERA in six April starts before getting sent down to Nashville.
Rangers: Gallo was back in the lineup Tuesday after missing one game with a sprained left ankle.
UP NEXT
Oakland’s RHP Edwin Jackson (1-2, 2.93) will make his sixth start of the season, and his first start against the Rangers since 2011 when he pitched for the Chicago White Sox. LHP Martin Perez (2-4, 8.05) will make his eighth start of the season for the Rangers.