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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Texas took full advantage of Oakland
starter Mark Mulder's fielding miscue in the first inning.
The Rangers scored seven unearned runs after a questionable call
against Mulder resulted in an error and allowed Rusty Greer to
reach base. They went on to beat the Athletics 9-4 Wednesday night
and complete a three-game sweep.
|  | | Did he or didn't he? Umpire Bryan Gorman ruled that A's pitcher Mark Mulder (20) missed first base ahead of Rusty Greer. |
The error against Mulder (5-4) came when first base umpire Brian
Gorman ruled the pitcher never touched the base when taking a throw
from second baseman Randy Velarde after Greer's bouncer.
"Even though it's not a hit, it makes you feel good as a hitter
to go down there and get a rally going," said Greer, who never saw
Mulder's foot. "I'm running as hard as I can, not paying attention
to that and waiting for the umpire to call it."
Oakland manager Art Howe didn't argue much, even though Mulder
beat Greer to the base by a couple of steps and a television replay
indicated his foot did slide along the base.
"It's a shame that it had to come down to that," Howe said.
"He missed it by a quarter of an inch, if that. He learned a
valuable lesson."
Mulder said he got the base with the side of his foot, but then
reached back to make sure, and that is when the call was made.
"I thought I'd go back and get it for sure," Mulder said.
"Obviously when the umpire sees me going back he is going to think
that I missed it."
After the error, seven of Texas' next eight hitters reached base
before Greer ended the first with a popout.
Despite five straight victories over Oakland since last week,
the two-time defending AL West champion Rangers remain in last
place. The Athletics have lost seven of eight to fall out of the
division lead.
Though not masterful, Kenny Rogers (9-5) won his sixth straight
decision. In eight innings, plus one batter in the ninth, he struck
out four, walked three and allowed four runs on 10 hits.
"I had room for error because of the seven-spot early," Rogers
said. "I was struggling with location. I wasn't very good most of
the day, but I found a way to get through it. I was just fortunate
out there."
Mulder didn't have a 1-2-3 inning until the fifth, but he didn't
give up another run until after Texas loaded the bases and he was
pulled with two outs in the seventh. Rafael Palmeiro then greeted
reliever Jeff Tam with a two-run single.
The 15 hits allowed by Mulder were the most by a major league
pitcher this season. He struck out seven and walked three in 6 2/3
innings.
Palmeiro followed Mulder's error with a single, then Ivan
Rodriguez hit a fly ball to right, which instead of being the third
out of the first, was a sacrifice fly that scored Greer.
"We got a break with Rusty getting on, then we were able to
capitalize on that and put seven runs up, and then Kenny did what
he had to do," Texas manager Johnny Oates said.
Chad Curtis added an RBI double, and after Gabe Kapler was
intentionally walked to load the bases, Mike Lamb hit a two-run
single and Scott Sheldon followed with a two-run double that hit
off the glove of right fielder Jeremy Giambi. Luis Alicea, who
struck out to start the inning, then had an RBI double.
"In the first inning, I don't think we hit more than one or two
on the screws. We had good placement on the ball," Greer said.
"We'll take anything we can get right now."
Giambi had four hits for Oakland, including a two-run double in
the second and a solo homer in the ninth. The other Giambi brother,
All-Star first baseman Jason, had an RBI single in the third.
All the Texas starters had at least one hit, and the Rangers
finished with 17. Palmeiro, David Segui and Lamb had three each.
Game notes
In nine games this season, Texas and Oakland have combined
for 133 runs, an average of nearly 15 a game. ... Texas LHP Darren
Oliver, on the DL because of weakness in his throwing shoulder,
started Wednesday at Triple-A Oklahoma. He threw 47 pitches in 1
2-3 innings, allowing two hits and three unearned runs. He struck
out four and walked two. ... Rodriguez has a season-best nine-game
hitting streak. ... The Giambi brothers have started in the same
game 32 times this season, combining for 48 runs and 70 RBIs in
those games.
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