Texas Rangers’ Corey Seager slugs an RBI single off Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (58) as catcher Sean Murphy and umpire Johbn Tumpane look on in the first inning, at Globe Life Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Wed Jul 13, 2022. (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

What a difference a day makes. The Oakland A’s hammered out 13 hits and 14 runs Tuesday night to beat the Texas Rangers. Wednesday night’s game featured a battle between the A’s Paul Blackburn and the Rangers’ Jon Gray.

Would the teams continue to put runs on the board? Could the hitting be stopped? Blackburn has been the A’s best pitcher in 2022. His strong first half resulted in an All-Star berth for Blackburn. Gray, signed to a four-year 56 million dollar contract as a free agent, entered the game with a 5-4 record.

The A’s roughed up Gray for five runs when the Rangers were in Oakland in late May. Well, things did not go well for Blackburn in the first inning. Blackburn could not locate his pitches, and he walked three batters.

The Rangers’ hitters had three hits in the inning, and they put five runs on the board to lead 5-0. Jon Gray pitched his best game of the year. The big righty limited the A’s to one hit in seven innings of work. His line was seven innings, one hit, nine strikeouts, and no walks. The A’s hit two solo home runs in the ninth, but it was not enough as they fell to the Rangers by a score of 5-2.

The Rangers scored all the runs they needed in the bottom of the first inning. Blackburn walked Rangers’ leadoff hitter Josh Smith. Marcus Semien, playing shortstop in place of Corey Seager, who was the DH Wednesday night, reached on a fielder’s choice.

Smith was out at second. Semien took off and was able to steal second. Sean Murphy’s throw hit Semien, sliding into the base. The ball went into shallow centerfield. Semien advanced to third on the error.

The next hitter, Corey Seager, singled to drive in Semien with the Rangers’ first run. Blackburn walked Nathaniel Lowe and Jonah Heim to load the bases with one out. Blackburn struck out Kole Calhoun for the second out.

The seventh hitter in the Rangers’ lineup, Leody Taveras, singled to drive in Seager and Lowe to make it 3-0. Heim advanced to third.

Taveras promptly stole second base. Brad Miller, who hadn’t done much so far in the three-game series, singled to right to drive in two more runs. Ramon Laureano’s throw to second as Miller tried to advance a base on the throw home.

Blackburn regained his poise. He showed his All-Star form as he held the Rangers hitless over the next five innings. Blackburn’s line was six innings pitched, three hits, four walks, one strikeout, and five runs. The Rangers’ Jon Gray was the better pitcher.

The only hit he allowed in seven innings of work came in the top of the fourth. A’s third baseman Vimael Machin reached on an infield single. Gray was dominant. He struck out nine and did not walk a batter.

The A’s had three hits in the top of the ninth. Jose LeClerc was on the hill for Texas. Skye Bolt sent LeClerc’s first pitch out of the park to make it a 5-1 game.

For Bolt, it was his first home run of the year. It was the second big fly in his career. LeClerc retired Nick Allen and Vimael Machin. Ramon Laureano blasted his eighth home run over the wall in centerfield to make it a 5-2 game.

Sean Murphy walked, and Seth Brown doubled to put men on at second and third with two out. Stephen Vogt came to the plate as the potential tying run. Rangers’ manager brought in Garrett Richards to face Vogt. All it took was one pitch. To end the game, Vogt hit the first pitch from Richard to Taveras in centerfield. The Rangers win 5-2.

Game notes- With the loss, the A’s are 30-60. The Rangers improved to 41-45. The winning pitcher was Jon Gray. He is now 6-4. Blackburn took the loss. He is now 6-5.

The Line for Oakland was two runs, four hits, and one error. Texas’ line was five runs, four hits, and no errors.

The A’s are off on Thursday. They play the Houston Astros for three games at Minute Maid Park in Houston. These will be the last three games before the annual All-Star break. Neither team has announced their pitchers for the series.

The time of the game was 2:34. 22,394 fans watched in air-conditioned comfort as the outside temperature in Arlington was 103 degrees with 25% humidity.