The Rangers saw their four-game winning streak snapped on April 24, dropping a 2-0 contest in Oakland against their American League rival, the Athletics.
Oakland’s Cole Irvin and three relievers combined on a four-hitter; Stephen Piscotty homered in on his return from the injured list, helping the Oakland Athletics defeat the Texas Rangers 2-0 on Sunday to avoid a series sweep.
Irvin (2-1) won his second consecutive game by allowing just one hit in five innings. After the Rangers’ Marcus Semien’s infield single to start the game, Irvin did not allow another hit.
Texas batted just .125 as a team on the day (3-for-32) and earned just two walks while leaving seven runners on base in the shutout.
Aside from Semien, first baseman Nathan Lowe and catcher Jonah Heim accounted for the other two hits on the day for the Rangers.
After only one season in Toronto, Semien, a former A’s infielder who signed a seven-year and $175 million contract with Texas, led the Rangers with two hits. He doubled off Snead in the eighth inning.
As for the Rangers pitchers, Garrett Richards got the start and was followed on the mound by Spencer Howard, Albert Abreu, Brett Martin, Dennis Santana, and Kolby Allard. The six Rangers pitchers combined to allow just one earned run via an error on five hits, allowing six walks and striking out nine.
Texas had won four consecutive games at the Coliseum and attempted to complete its first sweep since 2015.
Howard, who had been activated from the injured list prior to the game, was set to start before manager Chris Woodward decided to go with Richards.