BREAKING: A’s starter roughed up in loss to Rangers

The Oakland Athletics suffered a 6-2 defeat against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night, extending their record to 4-8 for the season and placing them in 4th position in the AL West standings.

Starting pitcher Ross Stripling endured a challenging outing, lasting 6 innings and conceding 6 runs on 11 hits, while also issuing 3 walks and striking out 5 batters. Stripling encountered difficulty early in the game, yielding 3 runs in the first inning before encountering further trouble in the 4th inning, resulting in an additional 3 runs for the Rangers.

Despite commendable relief performances from TJ McFarland and Dany Jimenez, who collectively allowed only one walk and one hit over an inning each, the Athletics’ offense failed to ignite.

On the opposing side, Rangers starter Cody Bradford stifled the Athletics’ bats for 6.2 innings, tallying 7 strikeouts with just 1 walk. The lone run surrendered by Bradford was unearned due to a throwing error by third baseman Josh Smith.

Offensively for the Athletics, Abraham Toro was a standout performer with three singles, capitalizing on the opportunity provided by Smith’s error in the first inning to score a run. However, Toro is one of only three A’s hitters maintaining a batting average above .250 thus far, with JJ Bleday hitting .277 and Esteury Ruiz boasting a .429 average over his three games.

 

Overall, the Athletics’ offensive struggles persist, as evidenced by their .211 team batting average (ranked 27th in the league), .283 OBP (also ranked 27th), and .351 slugging percentage (ranked 21st). Despite limited success in stolen bases and a lineup plagued by underperforming hitters, the Athletics remain determined to compete.

Looking ahead to Thursday’s matchup, the A’s aim to salvage a series victory against the Rangers in the final game of the series. With JP Sears set to take the mound, the Athletics hope for a strong offensive showing to support their pitching efforts and secure another series win.