WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jeff McNeil was 4 for 5 with three RBIs including the go-ahead home run as the Athletics snapped a three-game slide with an 8-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.
Lawrence Butler also went deep for the Athletics, who have lost 12 of their last 15 games.
The Athletics plan to move to Las Vegas in 2028, when they are scheduled to open play at a new ballpark on the Strip.
A hit batter, a single, and a walk loaded the bases for Carlos Cortes in the first inning, and he drove a 1-2 slider from Kumar Rocker to right that emptied the bases and gave the Athletics a 3-0 lead.
It took until the sixth inning for the Rangers to respond. Jake Burger worked the count full and hit a 428-foot, three-run homer to left-center that tied the game and ended Gage Jump’s start for the A’s.
Jump threw 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on three hits while walking four and striking out one.
McNeil got the A’s back in front with a 400-foot homer, his fifth of the season. It was a home run in every MLB ballpark, per Statcast.
Butler tacked on a 411-footer in the seventh to double the Athletics’ lead, and three more came across in the eighth.
Four relievers combined to give up one hit 3 2/3 innings, including Luis Medina (3-3) who earned the win.
Texas was held to four hits, and was 1 for 5 with runners in scoring position. Chase Silseth (3-3) took the loss after allowing one run in one inning.
Up next
Rangers LHP Mackenzie Gore (6-9, 4.43 ERA) starts opposite A’s RHP J.T. Ginn (8-6, 3.41) as the series continues on Saturday.
