Athletics fall as Rangers rally for 4 runs in the 9th inning

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Joc Pederson hit a go-ahead single in a four-run ninth inning and the Texas Rangers rallied last in a 9-6 victory over the Athletics on Thursday to earn a split of their four-game series.

Nick Kurtz blooped a three-run double that Wyatt Langford couldn’t chase down in left field to give the Athletics a 6-5 lead with two outs in the eighth.

The Athletics plan to move to Las Vegas in 2028, when they are scheduled to open play at a new ballpark on the Strip.

Jake Burger and Josh Jung singled to start the ninth against Justin Sterner (0-2). Kyle Higashioka was safe when Sterner fielded his bunt and threw it over the head of Darell Hernaiz at third for an error, allowing Burger to score the tying run. Pederson gave the Rangers the lead, and Ezequiel Duran added to it with a two-run single.

Brandon Nimmo had an RBI single in the third off Jacob Lopez, and Burger added a sacrifice fly in the fifth to put Texas up 2-0.

Jacob Wilson had a two-run single off Jack Leiter in the A’s fifth and Carlos Cortes followed with an RBI single to give them a 3-2 lead.

Luis Medina followed Lopez in the sixth, and Pederson worked a pinch-hit walk with one out after winning an ABS challenge on an 0-2 pitch. Josh Smith’s two-out RBI double tied it 3-all.

Jung hit his first home run of the season — a two-run shot off Scott Barlow in the seventh for a 5-3 Rangers lead.

Leiter allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks in 5⅔ innings. Jakob Junis was charged with three runs in 1⅓ innings after Jacob Latz entered with the bases loaded and gave up Kurtz’s double.

Cal Quantrill (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth and was credited with the win.

Lopez gave up two runs and three hits in five innings. He walked four, giving him 17 free passes in his first 18⅓ innings.

Up next

The Athletics will start Aaron Civale (2-0, 1.72 ERA) on Friday to begin a three-game series against the visiting White Sox, who counter with RHP Davis Martin (2-1, 2.50).