OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Andy Ibañez drove in a pair of runs with a two-out single off Athletics closer Dany Jiménez, and the Texas Rangers scored three runs in the ninth inning for the second consecutive night to beat Oakland 8-5 on Friday.
The Rangers rallied with six runs in the final three innings and extended their winning streak to three. It came a day after they scored three runs in their final at-bat in a 4-1 victory.
“We’re starting to kind of put things together and we’re starting to feel more confidence, not only here in the clubhouse but out on the field,” Ibañez said through an interpreter. “It’s a really good vibe.”
Kole Calhoun drew a walk from Jiménez (1-2) to open the ninth and took third on Nathaniel Lowe’s one-out single. After Brad Miller stuck out looking and stood at home plate yelling at umpire Phil Cuzzi, Ibañez bounced a 1-2 pitch up into center field and then scored on Marcus Semien’s single.
Ibañez’s hit came after a quick conversation with teammate Adolis García.
“(We) were sitting in the dugout talking about how to stay positive, that things don’t always come out the way they’re supposed to, but to be positive,” Ibañez said. “That helped me out a lot, gave me a lot of confidence.”
Sean Murphy and Chad Pinder hit back-to-back home runs off Jon Gray for the A’s during a five-run third.
Trailing 5-2, the Rangers scored twice in the seventh then tied it in the eighth on Adolis García’s RBI double off Zach Jackson. García delivered the tie-breaking hit in Thursday’s 4-1 win.
Matt Moore (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings and had three strikeouts. Dennis Santana worked the ninth for his first save since the Dominican Rookie League in 2014.
“Instead of panicking, it was one at-bat…
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