OAKLAND, Calif. — David Murphy had
three hits and drove in two runs to help the Texas Rangers hang on to
their slim playoff hopes, beating the Oakland Athletics 10-3 on Monday
night.
Julio Borbon and Chris Davis both
drove in two runs as the Rangers won for the second time in eight
games, moving within seven games of the Boston Red Sox, who lost 12-9
to Kansas City, in the AL wild card.
Kevin Millwood (11-10) did not allow
an earned run in seven innings. He gave up a run and three hits,
walking one and striking out two. He needed to pitch 4 1/3 innings
against Oakland to reach 180 for the season and kick in the fifth and
final season of his contract, which is worth $12 million.
Matt Carson hit a home run for the
A's, who had their season-high seven-game winning streak end. Rajai
Davis also drove in a run.
Edgar Gonzalez (0-3) lasted 3 1/3 innings, giving up six runs and nine hits. He walked two and struck out three.
Millwood allowed two hits in the
first inning but then did not allow a runner past first base until a
throwing error by second baseman Ian Kinsler sent Chad Pennington to
third. Davis followed with a sacrifice fly.
The Rangers scored in three of the first four innings.
Hank Blalock singled home a run in
the first and Texas added three runs in the second on a two-run single
from Borbon and Murphy's RBI single.
Murphy and Marlon Byrd added run-scoring singles in the fourth to make it 6-0.
After the A's scored, Davis tripled home two runs in the seventh and Blalock drove in a run in the eighth.
Notes
A's 1B Daric Barton sat out
the game with a sore heel. … The A's have not allowed a home run in
six straight games. … A's LHP Brad Kilby has retired 19 of the last
20 hitters he's faced and has yet to allow a run in 11 innings. … The
Rangers allowed their 33rd unearned run of the season, second fewest in
the majors to Philadelphia's 31. … Murphy is 7 for 8 against Edgar
Gonzalez. … Rangers C Jarrod Saltalamacchia underwent shoulder
surgery in Dallas.