Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s finished the four-game series with the Texas Rangers on a sour note Thursday afternoon as they were defeated by the Rangers 6-3 at the O.co Coliseum.

Daniel Mengden started for Oakland, and he went 5 1/3 innings. He had a rough second inning when the Rangers put together four hits to score four runs. He committed a throwing error and almost had to leave the game when he was hit on his leg. He pitched well after the second inning, but the damage was done.

Rangers’ starter, lefty Martin Perez, was making his first start of the year and he picked up the win. Perez went 5 2/3 innings. He was touched for 10 hits, but the A’s could only score three times. They had their chances, but could not capitalize.

Things went south for Daniel Mengden in the top of the second inning. The Rangers’ third baseman Adrian Beltre led off the inning with a double to left. Nomar Mazara singled to put men on at first and third with no out. Second baseman Rougned Odor lined a single off Mengden’s ankle to drive in Beltre. Mengden dropped to the ground in pain. A’s manager Bob Melvin, and the trainer ran out to see the extent of the injury. Fortunately, Mengden was able to continue pitching. On the next play, Ryan Rua hit a slow roller past the mound. Mengden fielded it, but his throw to first went down the right-field line. Mazara and Odor scored, and Rua landed on third. Drew Robinson followed with a single. The Rangers scored four times and lead 4-0.

The A’s got two back in the bottom of the third. Shortstop Marcus Semien got the rally going with a single. Chad Pinder singled to put men on at first and second with no out. Jed Lowrie, hitting from the right side, doubled to drive in Semien with the A’s first run. Pinder stopped at third. Pinder scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of DH Khris Davis. The A’s trail 4-2 after three innings of play.

The A’s added a run in the bottom of the seventh. Matt Chapman and Stephen Piscotty singled to put men on at first and third with one out. Matt Joyce, pinch-hitting for Jake Smolinski, drove in Chapman with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 4-3.

The Rangers increased the lead to three in the top of the ninth when they scored twice with two men out. Juan Centeno singled, and that was followed by a home run to right-field by Shin-Soo-Choo that iced the win for Texas as the A’s failed to score in the bottom of the ninth. Texas wins 6-3.

Game Notes and Stats: A’s starter Daniel Mengden had a rough second inning when he was touched for four hits and four runs, three of which were earned. Mengden settled down and retired 11 in a row after the second-inning meltdown, but the damage was done. The A’s bullpen held the Rangers scoreless until Choo’s homer in the ninth. Mengden’s record drops to 0-2 and Texas starter Martin Perez recorded his first win of the year.

Jed Lowrie paced the A’s with three hits and an RBI. Matt Chapman had two singles to continue his hot start for Oakland. Stephen Piscotty also had two hits.

Rangers’ third baseman Adrian Beltre doubled in the second inning for his 3,054th hit in his illustrious career. Beltre passed Rod Carew for 25th all-time in hits and is now has the most hits of any Latin-born player in Major League history. He is a lock to make it to Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Both teams are now 3-5 for 2018.

Up Next: The A’s go on the road for a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels, two games with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and finish the road trip with three in Seattle against the Mariners before returning home to host the Chicago White Sox on April 16th.