Seager HR, Smith inside-park shot send Rangers past A’s, 10-8

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Corey Seager homered in a career-best fourth consecutive game, rookie Josh Smith’s first home run in the big leagues was an inside-the-park shot and the Texas Rangers held on to beat the Oakland Athletics 10-8 Monday night.

Seager led off the fifth inning with his 20th homer before Smith’s one-out liner in the sixth skipped past sliding center fielder Ramón Laureano and rolled to the warning track. The speedy leadoff hitter slid headfirst across the plate easily ahead of the throw, pausing on his belly briefly before getting up and smiling.

The A’s cut an eight-run deficit to two in the eighth and had the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the ninth.

Laureano hit a two-run homer and Chad Pinder connected on a three-run shot off Kolby Allard, who was called up from Triple-A earlier in the day.

Tony Kemp stopped an 0-for-21 skid with a double off Garrett Richards. Sheldon Neuse, who homered against his hometown team for the first time with a solo shot in the fifth, had an RBI groundout before Dennis Santana got Vimael Manchín on a groundout.

Brett Martin struck out two in the ninth and has his first three career saves in his past three outings. The left-hander’s streak of consecutive batters retired ended at 12 with Nick Allen’s two-out single before Elvis Andrus walked and Pinder struck out.

The first of Smith’s three RBIs came on a sacrifice fly popup caught by Andrus, the former Texas shortstop who stumbled over third baseman Manchín in foul territory as Kole Calhoun raced home for a 5-1 Texas lead in the fourth.

Leody Taveras had three hits and three RBIs for the Rangers, both career highs.

Spencer Howard’s defensive gem qualified the right-hander for his second big league win. Facing the potential tying run with two outs in the fifth, the 25-year-old dashed off the mound toward third, grabbed Sean Murphy’s slow bouncer with his bare hand and threw him out.

Howard (1-1) allowed one earned run in five innings.

The Rangers scored their first two runs on a balk and a wild pitch by rookie Adrián Martínez (2-2). The 25-year-old right-hander allowed six runs — four earned — in 4 1/3 innings with four walks and two wild pitches in his fourth career start.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: Manager Mark Kotsay said INF Jonah Bride (right shoulder strain) could start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas as early as Wednesday.

Rangers: C/DH Mitch Garver had season-ending surgery for the flexor tendon injury in his right forearm. Sam Huff was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock. … RHP Dane Dunning was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right ankle injury, opening the spot for Allard.

UP NEXT

Oakland RHP James Kaprielian (1-5, 5.06 ERA) hasn’t thrown more than six innings in 24 consecutive starts going back to July 10 last year. It’s the longest such streak for a starter in Athletics history.

Texas RHP Glenn Otto (4-5, 5.26) has lost three consecutive starts with a 9.00 ERA since returning from a 15-day stint on the COVID-19 list.