Texas Rangers pitcher Jon Gray works against the Oakland Athletics during the fifth inning  at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat May 13, 2023 (AP News photo)

Texas (24-15). 101 100 002. 5. 9. 1

Oakland (9-32) 000 000 000. 0. 5. 0

Time: 2:18

Attendance: 8,230

Saturday, May 13, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–On this date in 1899, the Cleveland Spiders lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-0, in front of a gathering of 1,800 spectators in Pittsburgh. It was the Spiders’ 10th consecutive loss and left them at 3-19 for the season.

On this date in 1962, lost to the MIlwaukee Braves, 3-2, and fell to 7-17. The paid attendance in Milwaukee was 13,447.

On this date in 2023. the Oakland Athletics were shut out 5-0 by the Texas Rangers. The Coliseum accommodated 8,230 attendees.

It was home run weather, 74º to be exact, at the Coliseum when James Kaprielian (0-2,12.94) threw his first pitch, at 1:09 on a sunny afternoon, to Marcus Semien, who quickly supplied the visiting Rangers with a Rickey Run. Not a lead off home run, but the other type.

He singled and then stole second and third, scoring on another single, this one by Nathaniel Lowe. Karprielian then induced an around the horn double play from Adolis García, but the A’s were behind, 1-0, before they took their first at bat. Small ball added another tally to the Texas total. There was no curse attached to Josh Smith’s lead off double. Number nine hitter Sandy León bunted him over to third, and he scored on Semien’s sac fly to center. 2-0, Texas.

But the home runs presaged by the weather did come. Nathaniel Lowe parked a 90.8 mph Kaprielien four seamer 380 feet from the plate to lead off the fourth, the Rangers’ first baseman’s fifth homer of the year, to add to Texas’s two run lead.

It’s not saying much to call this afternoon’s performance Kaprielian’s best of the season, but he did do a credible job on the mound today. He lasted seven frames, the most he has gone all year, and gave up three runs, all earned, on six hits (one out of the park), a walk, and a hit batter. He threw 104 pitches, 69 of which qualified as strikes. Zach Neal relieved him to pitch a perfect eighth. His ninth wasn’t so perfect.

With one down, he surrendered a single to Jung and then paid the price of a warm day in the Coliseum: a two run hoer to left by Durán. It’s surprising that that was only the game’s second round tripper. It was Durán’s fifth of the year, and it put Texas ahead, 5-0.

Jon Gray, the 31 year old right hander who started for the Rangers is a veteran who entered the day with a career record of 62-57, 4.48 (2-1, 3.82 for ’23). His lifetime ERA probably was inflated considerably by his stint in Colorado, where he pitched long enough to log 849 strike outs.

His numbers were helped a bit by his previ0us start, his best of the year, when he held the Mariners to a single run, earned, over seven innings in Seattle last Monday. He dominated the Athletics today. For 6-2/3 innings the Oakland offense consisted of a walk to Esteury Ruíz.

Then Peterson broke up the no hitter with a single to right. Laureano followed with a double to the same field, but Peterson was thrown out at home, 9–4-2, on a play whose call was disputed by Oakland but confirmed by New York.

Before leaving the game in favor of John King, who pitched the bottom of the ninth, Gray went eight full innings and gave up three hits and two walks. He threw 95 pitches, 66 for strikes in blanking the A’s, earning the win and improving his record to 3-1, 3.15.

The top of the second was a beautiful inning for A’s fans to watch. Josh Jung, who had led off with a single was erased by a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play, and Jace Peterson did a perfect imitation of Josh Donaldson’s ironic over the rail catch of a foul fly to third

The A’s made a last minute attempt to come back, but last night’s hero, Brent Rooker, called in as a pinch hitter with two on and one down in the bottom of the ninth, hit into an around the horn twin killing.

The fourth and final game of this series will be played tomorrow, Sunday – Mothers’ Day for all you. fans of Dallas Braden – at 1:07. Oakland’s JP Sears (0-3, 5.54) will face fellow southpaw Andrew Heany (2-3, 5.25)