Oakland A’s centerfielder Ramon Luareano can’t get the handle on the baseball as it gets away for a inside the park home run hit by the Texas Rangers Josh Smith at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon Jul 11, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

There was good and bad news in the game that the Oakland A’s (29-59) lost to the Texas Rangers 10-8 Monday night. The good news was the A’s offense woke up late in the game to score six runs in the eighth. They sent ten men to the plate in that inning.

The A’s hitters blasted a two-run and three-run homer in the frame. For the game, they hit three home runs. Sheldon Neuse had a solo blast in the fifth, Ramon Laureano hit a two-run blast in the eighth, and Chad Pinder homered with two men on base later in the inning.

For the game’s first seven innings, everything went right for the Texas Rangers. They put runs on the board in every inning except the first and third. The A’s starter, Adrian Martinez, gifted the Rangers two runs in the bottom of the second.

The Rangers’ catcher, Jonah Heim, a former Oakland Athletic, singled to get the rally going. Heim went to second on a wild pitch. Martinez walked Kole Calhoun to put two men on with no out. Martinez retired Brad Miller for the first out.

Rangers’ center-fielder Leody Tavares reached on a fielder’s choice. Calhoun was out at second, and Heim advanced to third. Tavares promptly stole second. Heim scored the game’s first run when the umpires called a balk on Martinez.

Tavaras advanced to third. Tavaras scored when Martinez uncorked his second wild pitch of the innings. The Rangers scored two runs on one hit, a walk, two wild pitches, and a balk.

The A’s put their first run of the night on the board in the top of the fourth. Ramon Laureano reached safely on Rangers’ third baseman Josh Smith’s error. Sean Murphy singled, sending Laureano to second. Seth Brown singled to drive in Laureano. The A’s trailed 2-1 midway through the fourth.

The Rangers plated three more runs in their half of the fourth. Martinez walked Rangers’ first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to get things going for Texas. Jonah Heim reached safely on Seth Brown’s fielding error. Kole Calhoun singled to drive in.

Lowe with Texas’ third run. Heim went to second. Tavares singled to drive in Heim, and Calhoun went to third. Josh Smith fouled out to Elvis Andrus in short left field. Andrus collided with the third baseman Vimael Machin. Calhoun tagged up and scored the third run of the inning. The Rangers lead 5-1 after four.

Neuse cut the deficit to three when he hit his third dinger of the season. The ball traveled 418 feet into the second deck in left field. The A’s trailed 5-2. The Rangers’ star shortstop, Corey Seager, blasted his 20th homer to get the run back, and the Rangers led 6-2.

The Rangers added two more runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to have a comfortable10-2 lead with just two innings left for Oakland to do anything.

In the fateful eighth inning, Rangers’ manager Chris Woodward brought in lefty Kolby Allard to pitch. Allard had been struggling this season, and his outing in the eighth was not his best effort. The A’s put six runs on the board.

This year, it was the most runs in an inning for the A’s. Here’s how they did it. Third baseman Vimeal Machin started the rally with a single, and Ramon Laureano atoned for a ball he misplayed in the sixth inning.

The misplay resulted in an inside-the-park, two-run home run for Josh Smith. Laureano homered for the seventh time this tear to make it a 10-4 game. Allard hit Sean Murphy with a pitch. Allard struck out Seth Brwon for the first out.

Elvis Andrus singled. Both men scored when Chad Pinder homered into the seats in left field. The A’s now trailed 10-7. Chris Woodward brought in Garrett Richards to pitch. Richards plunked Stephen Piscotty on the upper part of his left arm.

Piscotty was not able to continue. Tony Kemp doubled, sending Skye Bolt to third. Neuse grounded out 5-3 to drive in Bolt with the sixth run of the inning and the eighth of the night. The A’s could not score in the ninth and fell to the Rangers 10-8.

Game Notes: The A’s are now 29-59, 30 games below .500. Texas improved to 40-44. Adrian Martinez was the losing pitcher. Spencer Howard picked up the win.

The line score for Oakland was eight runs, 12 hits, and one error. Texas’ line was ten runs, nine hits, and one error.

The time of the game was 3:28. 20,600 were in attendance.

The A’s meet the Rangers again Tuesday night at Globe Life Field. The game will start at 5:05 pm. The A’s will be starting All Star Paul Blackburn (6-4, 3.36) the Rangers starter will be right hander Jon Gray (5-4, 4.03) first pitch at 5:05 pm PDT at the Ballpark in Arlington