A's Overcome Disputed Call To Beat Rangers 5-4
ARLINGTON (AP)- Kila Ka'aihue had a tiebreaking single in the 10th inning, and the Oakland A's bounced back from a disputed call on squeeze play that cost them the lead to beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 Thursday.
Ka'aihue's single off Mike Adams (0-2) drove in Jonny Gomes, who had three hits. Josh Reddick's 10th homer off Alexi Ogando made it 4-all in the seventh.
Ryan Cook (1-0) escaped a ninth-inning jam and has pitched 19 2-3 scoreless innings this season, most among AL relievers. Brian Fuentes recorded his third save.
Mitch Moreland homered twice for Texas.
Oakland fell behind 4-3 in the sixth when Craig Gentry scored from third on a squeeze bunt that Brandon McCarthy thought he caught. A's manager Bob Melvin was ejected for arguing the call.
The Rangers had runners at first and third with one out in the ninth but couldn't score.
Michael Young reached on a two-base error by Josh Donaldson and went to third on a groundout. Nelson Cruz struck out between intentional walks to David Murphy and Mike Napoli, then Brandon Snyder grounded out with the bases loaded.
Moreland pulled Texas to 3-2 with a two-run homer just over the left field fence in fourth and tied it with a deeper shot to right in the sixth. Josh Hamilton watched both of those from the dugout and was supposed to have the day off. He came on as a pinch-hitter and stayed in the game in center field. He made the first out in the eighth and 10th innings.
Three batters after Moreland's tying homer, the Rangers took the lead on a disputed squeeze that led to Melvin's ejection. With Gentry breaking from third, Elvis Andrus popped up a bunt between the mound and home plate. McCarthy thought he caught the ball on the fly and threw to third for what he figured would be a double play, but home plate umpire Laz Diaz ruled he trapped it. Gentry was ruled safe for a 4-3 Texas lead, and Oakland didn't get anybody out.
Melvin ran from the dugout to argue, gesturing repeatedly at Diaz before he was finally thrown out.
Reliever Grant Balfour replaced McCarthy after the disputed bunt and escaped a jam, allowing Oakland to tie the score again in the seventh on Reddick's 10th home run. The shot into the Rangers bullpen in right-center field ended Texas reliever Ogando's scoreless streak at 15 1-3 innings.
Moreland never got a chance for a third home run. He was replaced by pinch-hitter Brandon Snyder in the seventh when Oakland went to left-handed reliever Jordan Norberto. Snyder flied out to right with the go-ahead run at second.
McCarthy gave up eight hits and four runs in 5 1-3 innings, with three walks and four strikeouts.
Matt Harrison allowed the first five batters to reach base in a three-run Oakland first inning before pitching four shutout frames. He allowed at least one hit in all five innings, then was replaced by Mark Lowe after striking out Ka'aihue to start the sixth.
Texas right fielder Cruz made a pair of diving catches to help Harrison keep the game close. His grab of Donaldson's line drive in the gap in right-center field probably saved a run in the third inning.
Harrison allowed eight hits and three runs in 5 1-3 innings. He walked three and struck out three.
Kurt Suzuki had a two-run double in the first for Oakland after Gomes drove in the first run with a double.
(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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