Winning Streak Eludes Rangers In 7-1 Loss To A's
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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Yovani Gallardo and the Texas Rangers are the only ones left without consecutive wins in the major leagues this season.
They have that distinction now that Milwaukee — where the right-hander spent his first eight years before an offseason trade — made it two straight with a win at Wrigley Field while the Rangers fell 7-1 to Oakland on Sunday.
"It's not the start that we want," said Gallardo (2-4), who allowed four runs — three earned — on seven hits and four walks in 6 2-3 innings, with just one strikeout. "But there's not much you can do other than keep battling and keep working hard like the guys are doing in this clubhouse."
Sonny Gray took a shutout into the seventh inning despite a career-high seven walks by mixing in 10 strikeouts with just two hits, and Stephen Vogt homered twice for the Athletics.
The 10 strikeouts were a season high, and two shy of the only other time he had that many last September against the Los Angeles Angels. Those, along with allowing just two hits, helped Gray (4-0) extend his scoreless streak against Texas to 23 2-3 innings over three starts.
Gray also hit a batter and threw a wild pitch, but still reached six wins against Texas, the most of any opponent for the 25-year-old.
"You just have some days when you pick the ball up and you know it's going to be a battle," Gray said. "You've just got to grind through."
Vogt, who had a career-high four RBIs, hit a solo shot in the sixth. He added his sixth homer of the season, a three-run drive in the seventh right after Texas reliever Alex Claudio entered for a lefty vs. lefty matchup.
The Rangers stranded 14 runners, including Shin-Soo Choo at third with no outs in the fourth. They were 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Rougned Odor struck out three times, and his only ball in play was a force at the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth.
"When (Gray) got runners in scoring position he kind of locked in a little bit, threw some good pitches," said Prince Fielder, who reached four times with two singles and two walks. "That's why he's their ace."
With a 5-0 lead thanks to Vogt's second homer, Oakland manager Bob Melvin stuck with Gray after consecutive walks to Elvis Andrus and Fielder with one out in the seventh. Gray struck out Adrian Beltre on his 119th pitch — another career high — before Dan Otero came on to get Choo on a flyout.
Oakland's Josh Reddick extended his career-best hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the seventh and had a two-run homer in the ninth.
ANOTHER UNEARNED RUN
Reddick's grounder to Andrus in the fifth gave the A's a 1-0 lead when the Texas shortstop knocked down the one-hopper but bounced the throw to first, allowing Eric Sogard to score. The Rangers matched Washington with a majors-leading 24 miscues, and it was another unearned run a day after Texas allowed a season-high five.
TOSSED WITHOUT PLAYING
Oakland outfielder Craig Gentry, who started his career with the Rangers, was ejected by home plate umpire Andy Fletcher without even appearing on the field. He was in the dugout when Sam Fuld was called out on strikes to end the fourth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: CF Coco Crisp (right elbow surgery) was scheduled to play seven innings in left field for Class A Stockton on Sunday. ... LHP Eric O'Flaherty (left shoulder strain) was to have an MRI exam Sunday before a visit Monday with team orthopedist Dr. Jon Dickinson. ... LHP Sean Nolin (sports hernia surgery) threw 25 pitches on the side Saturday after a setback with an oblique strain.
Rangers: RHP Yu Darvish is out of a brace after season-ending elbow reconstruction surgery and moving on from range-of-motion exercise to work on his shoulder and forearm.
UP NEXT
Athletics: RHP Jesse Hahn (1-1, 2.86) starts the opener of a four-game series in Minnesota.
Rangers: LHP Ross Detwiler (0-3, 8.66) makes his fifth start for Texas in a series opener at Houston, which has won 10 straight.
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