WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jake Burger tied the game with a three-run home run in the sixth inning, and the Texas Rangers lost anyway, falling 8-3 to the Athletics on Friday night at Sutter Health Park. Texas has dropped four straight.
The defeat dropped the Rangers to 60-63 and left them three games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West, matching their largest deficit of the season. Houston beat the Seattle Mariners 10-7 on Friday in Houston. Texas has 39 games remaining.
Friday was the Rangers’ 16th loss in 21 division road games this season. Their .238 winning percentage in those games is the second-worst mark in the majors.
The Dallas Morning News reported that Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said the team held a round of conversations before first pitch as the coaching staff looked to motivate players and create an edge, and that clubs mired in slumps have to be willing to change routines, whether that means batting practice, cage work, or postgame habits.
“We’re just finding different ways to lose right now,” Schumaker said. “When you’re on those streaks, that’s what happens, and so hopefully tomorrow we can find a way to win.”
Texas recalled infielder Cody Freeman before the game. Schumaker also wrote out a new-look lineup against a left-handed starter, with Wyatt Langford leading off, Brandon Nimmo batting second, Corey Seager third, and Ezequiel Durán hitting cleanup for the first time this season against a left-hander.
Kumar Rocker Gives Up Three In The First
Texas loaded the bases in the top of the first and did not score. Justin Foscue popped out to second base on the first pitch he saw for the third out.
Kumar Rocker hit a batter to open the bottom half. A single and a walk loaded the bases. Carlos Cortes then doubled into the right-center field gap with two outs, and three runs scored.
Rocker did not give up another run. He allowed 3 earned runs on 4 hits over 5 innings. He walked 5 and struck out 3. Rocker threw 94 pitches. In his previous start, on Aug. 9 against the Baltimore Orioles, he gave up 6 runs in 3 innings. Rocker carried a 4.46 ERA over 111 innings into Friday.
Jake Burger Ties It In The Sixth
Athletics rookie left-hander Gage Jump held Texas hitless until the fifth. Evan Carter grounded a one-out single off Jump’s glove. Langford hit into a 6-3 double play on the next pitch.
Seager opened the sixth with a walk. Durán singled. Burger then drove a 3-2 fastball to left-center field for his 20th home run of the season. Statcast put the drive at 428 feet. Jump left one out later. He was charged with 3 earned runs on 3 hits and 4 walks over 5 1/3 innings.
Burger is batting .234/.295/.414 with 71 RBIs in 117 games this season.
Schumaker said the moves he made Friday did not work and that the staff would circle back to other ideas.
“We were looking for the big hit, kind of a momentum-swinging play or change of emotion in the dugout, and Burger provided that,” Schumaker explained. “It was an amazing at-bat.”
Athletics Pull Away Late
The lead lasted two batters. Chase Silseth retired the first two hitters in the bottom of the sixth before Jeff McNeil homered to put the Athletics back in front. McNeil finished 4-for-5 with a home run, 2 doubles, and 3 RBIs.
Lawrence Butler homered off Robby Ahlstrom in the seventh. Tyler Alexander allowed 3 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks in the eighth while recording one out. Luis Medina worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, and Silseth took the loss.
Texas put two runners on in the eighth trailing 5-3. Pinch-hitter Nicky Lopez flied out to left field to end the threat. The Rangers left 8 men on base and finished with 4 hits.
Texas went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position. The Rangers had gone 1-for-18 in those spots since the losing streak began. Texas has not scored more than 3 runs in a game since Monday. The Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-1 that night in Anaheim, and 3 of those runs came in the 10th inning.
Burger pointed to earlier stretches when the Rangers turned things around.
“The worst thing we can possibly do right now is put pressure on ourselves and try to hit an eight-run home run,” Burger said, per The Dallas Morning News. “It’s about passing the baton, trusting the guy behind you and trusting the guy in front of you to get on base and give a good at-bat.”
Texas Rangers Fall Three Back In The AL West
The Rangers have posted a .652 OPS against division opponents on the road this season. Their ERA in those games is 4.59. Texas is 3-9 on the road against the Angels and the Athletics. Those two clubs have the worst records in the AL West. The Rangers are 2-3 at Sutter Health Park.
Texas is batting .218 with the bases loaded, fifth-worst in the majors. Opponents have hit .330 against the Rangers in the same situation, fourth-worst.
Burger said he did not have an explanation for how the Rangers have played inside the division.
“It sucks,” Burger explained. “That’s not how you win a division.”
Rocker said the division remains open despite the Rangers’ recent slide.
“This division is what it is right now,” Rocker said, “anybody can win it.”
Baseball-Reference listed Texas’ postseason odds at 21.4% entering Friday.
Schumaker said the Rangers have to win one game before they can think about a streak.
“It’s one thing after another right now,” Schumaker said. “We know we’ve got to stop the bleeding somehow, and hopefully it starts tomorrow.”
Up Next
First pitch Saturday is 8:40 p.m. CT at Sutter Health Park. MacKenzie Gore is listed as the Rangers’ probable starter. Texas closes the series Sunday at 3:05 p.m. CT. Cody Bradford is scheduled to start that one. The Rangers open a three-game series against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday at Globe Life Field.
