Adolis García doubled to start an eight-run eighth inning capped by his second grand slam this season, and the Texas Rangers routed Oakland 11-3 on Sunday to take three of four from the Athletics.
García had three hits and five RBIs. He has 10 homers and leads the major leagues with 42 RBIs.
“We’ve had some tough games get away from us but today guys were determined to find a way to get it done,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “If we play our game we’re a tough team to beat.”
It was the majors-leading 10th time this season that Texas has scored 10 or more runs — no other team has done it more than seven times.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
Oakland dropped to a major league-worst 9-33 and is on pace finish 35-127, which would be the most losses in the major leagues since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders went 20-134. The A’s have allowed 316 runs, 71 more than any other team.
The game drew 7,793 to the Coliseum, the finale of a four-game series that totaled 25,547. The A’s have drawn under 10,000 in 13 of 21 home games, including eight of 10 since announcing April 20 the team had signed an agreement to purchase land for a ballpark to be built in Las Vegas.
Robbie Grossman homered for the second straight day and had three hits as Texas completed a 7-3 trip, its best since an 8-2 swing in 2016.
“The way we’re playing now, I’m not surprised at all,” Bochy said.
Texas led 3-1 on Grossman’s two-run homer in the first and García’s RBI single in the third before Shea Langeliers hit a two-run homer in the seventh off Jonathan Hernández (1-1).
García doubled leading off the eighth against Austin Pruitt (0-1) and Jonah Heim hit a one-out RBI single that extended his career-high hitting streak to 12 games. Heim took third as the ball skipped by center fielder Esteury Ruiz and rolled to the warning track for an error.
Oakland manager Mark Kotsay was ejected by plate umpire Dan Bellino as Sam Moll relieved, for arguing over a previous ball-strike call, and bench coach Darren Bush took over as acting manager.
“In my opinion he missed a pitch that was crucial in the at-bat,” Kotsay said of Heim’s plate appearance. “Probably let my emotions get the best of me today.”
Leodys Taveras hit into a run-scoring forceout, and Marcus Semien and Grossman followed with RBI singles for a 7-3 lead.
Zach Neal relieved with the bases loaded and García drove a 1-0 sinker over the left-center scoreboard and into the sparsely filled seats.
“I was just kind of sitting there looking for a certain pitch and he actually threw me the pitch that I was looking for,” García said through an interpreter. “I made really good contact on it.’
Texas starter Andrew Heaney allowed one run, four hits and two walks in six innings. Texas’ starters combined for two shutouts and allowed five earned runs in 27 2/3 innings during the series for a 1.63 ERA.
Oakland’s JP Sears allowed three runs — two earned — and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. The A’s have given up at least one home run in each of their last 18 games, the longest streak in franchise history
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: C Mitch Garver (left knee strain) will begin a rehab assignment this month. … INF Josh Smith was unavailable after getting hit on the left foot Saturday.
UP NEXT
Rangers: RHP Charlie Morton (4-3, 3.32 ERA) faces Atlanta, his team for the previous three seasons. on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at Global Life Park.
Athletics: RHP Drew Recuinski (0-3, 8.16) starts Monday against Arizona seeking his first win since July 4, 2018, while pitching in relief for Miami.
