Four homers, two firsts and a Jolly Rancher (?) help Oakland A’s top Texas
OAKLAND — Brent Rooker hit a three-run homer off Brock Burke in the bottom of the 10th inning, rallying the Oakland Athletics to a 9-7 win over the Texas Rangers that snapped a five-game losing streak Friday night.
Esteury Ruiz homered and drove in four runs for Oakland. Kevin Smith and Carlos Pérez also connected for the major league-worst A’s (9-31), who won on a walk-off hit for the third time this season.
This one came after Texas pinch-hitter Adolis García delivered a go-ahead single off Zach Jackson in the top of the 10th. Former A’s shortstop Marcus Semien followed with an RBI single to give Texas a two-run lead before Oakland came back.
Robbie Grossman, the veteran Texas outfielder who spent two seasons with the A’s, homered and had an RBI double in front of another small crowd of 6,575 at the Coliseum. Jonah Heim added two hits to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Ezequiel Duran doubled twice.
Ruiz’s RBI single off Burke (2-1) drove in Nick Allen, who began the 10th inning as the automatic runner at second base.
JJ Bleday added another single before Rooker’s hit, which represented his first career walk-off homer. The rookie outfielder, who now has 11 homers this season, was mobbed by teammates as he crossed home plate.
“I think I fouled off two of (Burke’s) best fastballs off the top, and when that happened something good was going to happen because he didn’t have anything left to beat me with after that,” Rooker told NBC Sports California. “Once I took 95 mph at the very top of the zone and was able to fout it off with two strikes, I liked where I was at.”
A’s manager Mark Kotsay, oddly enough, took out a green Jolly Rancher candy in his postgame news conference. He explained that former A’s skipper Bob Melvin, who was known for being a tad superstitious, used to carry those candies for good luck.
“And I left my office (before the game) and I grabbed this today and I said, ‘You know, we’re gonna need one of these today,”‘ Kotsay said. “Put it in (during) that 10th inning, and three runs.”
The A’s forced extra innings after trailing 5-4 in the eighth. Ruiz, who homered on Martín Peréz’s first pitch of the game, singled in Jace Peterson with the tying run.
Shintaro Fujinami (1-4) retired two batters for his first career win.
The loss prevented the AL West-leading Rangers (23-15) from matching their best record through 38 games since 2013.
The frantic ending came after Peréz’s uneven night. Peréz allowed a home run to Ruiz on his first pitch and gave up two others, matching his career high. The left-hander permitted eight hits in five innings with three strikeouts.
Texas trailed 1-0 and 2-1 before Grossman’s RBI double in the fourth drove in Bubba Thompson. Semien was thrown out at the plate on the play after third base coach Tony Beasley put up the stop sign before waving him home.
A’s starter Ken Waldichuk struck out five in five innings but allowed seven hits and four runs (three earned) with five walks.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Adrián Martínez (right elbow) was scheduled to throw 35-45 pitches in a rehab start with Triple-A Las Vegas. … Ramón Laureano cleared concussion protocol and started in left field.
UP NEXT
The A’s series with the Rangers continues Saturday afternoon as they look to win back-to-back games at home for the first time this season. Athletics LHP JP Sears (0-3, 5.54) is seeking his first win in four career starts against Texas.
RHP Jon Gray (2-1, 3.82 ERA) starts Saturday for Texas and is coming off his best outing of the season when he allowed one run and four hits over seven innings against Seattle on Monday.