Sacramento A’s pitcher Jefferey Springs was dealing all game long shutting out the Texas Rangers through six innings. Springs was lifted after the sixth inning at Globe Field in Arlington on Thu May 1, 2028 (AP News photo)

A’s Depart Arlington On Sweet Victory Airlines

By Mauricio Segura

Jeffrey Springs may have had a rocky April, but May started off with a gem. The left-hander turned in a sharp six-inning outing, and the A’s bullpen slammed the door behind him as the green and gold shut out the Texas Rangers 3-0 on Thursday afternoon at Globe Life Field. With the win, the Athletics clinched their second consecutive series victory and moved one game above .500 for the third time this season, now standing at 17 and 15.

Springs entered the game having allowed 13 runs over his previous two starts. But against his former club, the Rangers, he was locked in. He scattered four hits across six innings, walked two, and struck out three. Most importantly, he kept the Rangers off the board. It was a much-needed rebound performance from a pitcher who had been shelled for seven runs just five days prior.

Backing him up was a bullpen that has grown into one of the team’s biggest strengths. Mitch Spence, T.J. McFarland, Justin Sterner, and fireballer Mason Miller combined for three scoreless innings to seal the victory. Miller, touching triple digits on the radar gun once again, notched his ninth save in as many tries and struck out Marcus Semien to end it.

Offensively, the A’s didn’t need a home run to do their damage, a rarity for a team that ranks fifth in the majors in long balls. Instead, they pieced together a series of timely hits. Miguel Andujar, continuing his torrid stretch at the plate, drove in the game’s first run with a single in the opening frame. Jacob Wilson, the club’s hottest rookie, added an RBI single in the seventh to make it two to nothing. A sacrifice fly by Luis Urías in the eighth brought Brent Rooker home and capped the scoring.

Wilson finished with two hits, pushing his average to .325, good for eighth in the league. Andujar is now batting .338 over his last 18 games and looks every bit the consistent presence the A’s were hoping for when they picked him up.

Though the A’s managed only three runs, they made them count. They left just five runners on base and executed a rare outfield-assisted double play to end the second inning, erasing a walk by Semien and halting any early Texas momentum.

Rangers starter Tyler Mahle, who entered with a sparkling 1.14 ERA, saw that number creep upward after allowing two runs on seven hits over six and a third innings. He took the loss, dropping to 3-1.

This win marks six victories in the last nine games for the A’s, who now hit the road to face Miami. For a team that started the season 6-10, their recent surge has them tied for third in the AL West and just two and a half games back of division-leading Seattle.

If Springs’ bounce-back and the bullpen’s dominance are signs of things to come, the A’s may finally be rounding into form.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.