Recap: Oakland vs. Texas
Sports Network | September 12, 2008
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Dustin Nippert threw five-plus solid innings and Hank Blalock homered as part of a two-hit day, as the Texas Rangers downed Oakland, 6-1, in the first of four games with the Athletics.
Nippert (3-4) gave up one run on four hits and four walks, while striking out seven, to pick up the win. Jamey Wright tossed two perfect innings of relief for the Rangers, who have won three of five.
Joaquin Arias finished with two hits and two runs batted in, while Josh Hamilton added three hits and Chris Davis drove in a pair for Texas.
Dallas Braden (5-4) took the loss after surrendering six runs -- five earned -- on nine hits and three walks with two strikeouts in four-plus innings.
Cliff Pennington drove in the lone run for the A's, who had won four of five.
The Rangers grabbed the lead with a three-run second. Blalock and Gerald Laird each singled with one out, and after a pop up, Taylor Teagarden walked to load the bases.
Arias then smacked a two-run single to center, and another run scored when Eric Patterson committed an error.
In the top of the third, Nelson Cruz doubled with one out and scored with Davis doubled later in the inning for a 5-0 Texas lead.
Blalock led off the fifth with a homer to center to provide a six-run advantage for the visitors.
Nippert, meanwhile, navigated out of trouble for the first five innings but gave up a double to Jack Cust and single to Kurt Suzuki to begin the sixth. He was removed for Wright, who eventually gave up a sacrifice fly to Pennington but managed to limit the A's to that one run.
Bill White threw a 1-2-3 eighth, while Frank Francisco had a perfect ninth to end the game.
Teagarden finished 1-for-2 and walked twice...The Rangers left 11 runners on base and totaled 14 hits...Oakland stranded seven runners...Attendance was 10,566.
