Athletics knocked out early by Rangers a day after absorbing late-inning gut punch

OAKLAND — The day after a gut-punch loss the Athletics had every reason to think they would win, the Texas Rangers removed any sense of drama before the game was three innings old.

The defending World Series champions pummeled the A’s 15-8, chasing starter Ross Stripling with a 10-run second inning that made the matinee suitable for sun worshippers among the crowd of 3,965 and little else.

Including Monday night’s 4-2 loss when Corey Seager hit a three-run homer off Lucas Erceg in the eighth, the A’s have lost three straight since reaching .500 and are 17-20. The Rangers, winners of eight of their 11 and in first place in the American League West, improved to 21-16.

Former A’s infielder Marcus Semien led the Texas hit parade, hitting the first pitch he saw as the leadoff batter for his sixth home run, followed by a run-scoring single, a two-run double and another infield single that plated a run in a four-run fourth inning. Semien, a fan favorite from St. Mary’s High and Cal who played with the A’s from 2015 through 2020, finished 4-for-5 with five RBIs.

Simmy wastes no time! #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/fYCoBwGjzF

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) May 7, 2024

Kyle McCann homered for the A’s in the seventh inning, his third of the season and Seth Brown, who came into the game in an 0-for-14 slump, hit a three-run home run against Yerry Rodriguez in the bottom of the eighth, his third. The A’s trailed 15-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth before providing any semblance of offense.

Jose Urena (1-2) was the winning pitcher for Texas, pitching five innings and giving up four hits and one earned run with two walks and two strikeouts.

By the time the A’s batted in the bottom of the second, they trailed 11-0 as the Rangers scored 10 times in the second (six unearned). Stripling (1-6), whom the A’s needed innings from with two games on Wednesday, was charged with all 11 runs (five earned due to a fielding error in first baseman J.D. Davis) on 10 hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

The A’s scored twice against reliever Jonathan Hernandez in the sixth, taking advantage of five walks and a hit batter.

Hernaiz injured

Darell Hernaiz, who assumed the starting job at shortstop when Nick Allen was optioned to Triple-A, left the game with an ankle injury in the second inning after falling awkwardly while reaching base on a throwing error which brought across the first Oakland run. The A’s scored a second run in the inning on a run-scoring infield single with the bases loaded by Rooker.

Pitching shuffle

The Athletics promoted right-handed reliever Tyler Ferguson from Triple-A Las Vegas, sent reliever Dany Jimenez to straighten out mechanical issues with the Aviators and will call up Osvaldo Vido to start Wednesday’s second game as the 27th roster player.

Teams are allowed to call up an extra player for doubleheaders.

Ferguson (1-1 with a 2.40 earned run average in Triple-A, made his big league debut against Texas, giving up no runs in the eighth and ninth innings of mop-up work.

Vido, who was 2-5 with a 5.86 earned run average with Pittsburgh last season, is 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA in Las Vegas. The year-old right-hander has given up 26 hits in 31 1/3 innings with 13 walks an 39 strikeouts.

“His last two starts have been really good,” Kotsay said. “He’s another guy our front office identified this offseason and someone that could provide depth as a starter or even as a bullpen guy.”

The hope is Jimenez can work out issues with his mechanics — he’s walked 13 batters in 14 2/3 innings — and return at a later date.

Hogan Harris, a left-hander who was called up Monday when Joe Boyle was injured to provide bulk innings work, did just that against Texas. Harris threw 94 pitches in 5 1/3 innings of relief, giving up eight hits and four earned runs with one walk and five strikeouts.

J.P. Sears (2-2, 3.89) will start the first game of the doubleheader against Michael Lorenzen (2-1, 3.52).

Erceg and the change-up

In giving up a three-run home run to Corey Seager in a 3-2 loss Monday night, set-up man Erceg conceded to reporters that throwing him sixth consecutive change-ups — the sixth left the park — wasn’t the greatest idea in retrospect.

“The only way we learn is if we fail,” Kotsay said. “For Lucas to recognize that immediately after the game, that shows growth.”

The last five times the A’s held a lead with the intent of using Erceg in the eighth and Mason Miller in the ninth resulted in wins.

“They’re one of the better bullpens on the back end,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “Seager got a pitch he could handle. It’s better not to be behind when those two are coming into the game.”