By Kahlil Najar

OAKLAND –

The Oakland Athletics (13-7) gave up two runs in the top of the ninth and handed the Texas Rangers (13-8) a 5-4 win. Luke Gregerson (0-1) came into the top of the ninth with a one run lead but then gave up two doubles and a single to the Rangers and sealed them their second win of this series. With the loss, the A’s are the last team to lose back-to-back games as they lost to the Rangers last night 4-3. For the A’s, Josh Reddick continued his hot streak as he went 2 for 3 and a run. Only Eric Sogard and Brandon Moss were held hit less tonight but Sogard grabbed an RBI as he hit a sacrifice fly into center field and scored Reddick in the fourth.

On Gregerson giving up the run in the ninth, Bob Melvin said, “He wasn’t getting his slider to the other side of the plate. It was kind of hanging out there.”

The A’s didn’t exactly start off well as Tommy Milone who started the game, threw over 20 pitches in the first and loaded the bases after facing five hitters. Donnie Murphy, who was that fifth hitter came up with the bases loaded and hit a slow roller to third that Donaldson was able to grab but it was hit so slow that he had no play at first to get an out so the Rangers took a 1-0 lead. Robinson Chirinos was up next and on five pitches he was walked and scored Elvis Andrus who was on third and gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead after half an inning of play.

The A’s didn’t take long to answer back as in the bottom of the first, Jed Lowrie smacked a double off the right center field wall and was then driven in by Josh Donaldson who hit a single to center field. After a Moss ground out, Yoenis Cespedes his the second double of the inning and drove in Donaldson to tie that game at two a piece.

The Rangers grabbed their third run of the game after back-to-back singles to Alex Rios and Prince Fielder, former Oakland Athletic Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a grounder to third which started a double play but still got Alex Rios to score from third and gave Texas a 3-2 lead.

The A’s took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth after an error on Rangers third baseman Josh Wilson landed Reddick at second and moved John Jaso to third who had singled earlier in the inning. Eric Sogard came up and launch a deep fly out to center field and scored Jaso to tie the game at three. Coco Crisp was the next batter and took Ranger pitcher Nick Martinez to center field on a line shot for his first double of the year and scored Reddick and made it a 4-3 Oakland lead.

Both teams smacked hits over the next few innings until the top of the ninth when the Rangers regained their lead and sealed the victory.

Luke Gregerson came in relief for Abad who finished off the eighth in relief for Ryan Cook.

Gregerson gave up a double to Mitch Moreland to start the inning. Chirinos gave up a sac bunt to move Moreland over to third and then Martin came up and laid down a bunt to Gregerson who threw the ball to home and got Moreland trying to score from third for the second out of the inning. Josh Wilson came up and hit a deep double off the wall and scored Martin to tie the game at four. Then on their very next batter, the Rangers Michael Choice hit a single into center field and gave the Rangers a 5-4 victory.

“This teams been real resilient. You get over a game like this tonight and come back tomorrow,” said Melvin.

The Rangers and A’s head back at it tomorrow afternoon when the A’s young star Sonny Gray (3-0) goes up against Rangers star pitcher Martin Perez (3-0).