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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The A's weren't exactly celebrating after their 7-5 victory Friday night over the Texas Rangers moved them a half-game up on Seattle in the AL West.
|  | | The A's had good reason to celebrate Friday. |
They were antsy.
"Sure, tonight's great," third baseman Eric Chavez said. "But we still have two games. We're going to come out focused and
hopefully put this thing away."
Randy Velarde hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the sixth inning
as the A's took the division lead from the Mariners, who lost to
Anaheim 9-3. Cleveland is one game behind Seattle for the wild card
spot.
"We have a little bit of a foothold," A's manager Art Howe
said. "Now we have to finish the deal."
The Rangers cleared out of the Coliseum quickly.
"We're both trying to win games here. I'm not going to give
them and inch," Texas manager Johnny Oates said. "I'm going to
play every game tough."
Velarde singled off Francisco Cordero (1-2) to break a 3-all
tie. In the same inning, Matt Stairs scored when Jason Giambi's
grounder was misplayed by third baseman Mike Lamb.
Giambi hit a solo homer, his 42nd, in the fourth. He has 12 home runs and 29 RBI so far in September.
Jim Mecir (10-3) pitched two innings for the win. Jason
Isringhausen worked the ninth for his 32nd save.
Texas closed to 6-5 in the eighth when Royce Clayton singled home a run and Chad Curtis had his third RBI groundout of the game.
The A's got a run in the bottom half when third baseman Scott
Sheldon made an error on Stairs' grounder.
The Athletics are hoping to gain some playoff ground against the AL's worst second-half team and avoid a trip to Tampa Bay for a makeup game Monday.
"This club needs a day off," Howe said.
Oates suggested the A's won't get much rest before then.
"I bet Art is going to be here at 7 o'clock in the morning, or not go home at all," Oates laughed. "He's going to be so revved up."
Olmedo Saenz hit an RBI single in the fifth to give the A's a 3-2 lead. But the Rangers tied it in the sixth on Curtis' RBI
grounder.
Texas starter Kenny Rogers got a no-decision, leaving intact his streak at the Coliseum.
Rogers, formerly with the A's, has won his last 17 decisions at the Coliseum, last losing on Aug. 7, 1994. It is the longest streak for a pitcher in a single ballpark since Minnesota's Frank Viola won 19 in a row at the Metrodome from May 27, 1987 to July 22, 1988.
Rogers went 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits.
Curtis' grounder in the first inning was bobbled by shortstop Miguel Tejada and scored a run. Tejada had not made an error in a career-high 29 games.
Lamb scored on Sheldon's sacrifice fly in the fourth. Giambi
homered to start the bottom half and Tejada scored on Eric Chavez's
grounder.
Saenz's RBI single off Rogers in the fifth inning scored
Velarde, who also singled. Velarde was 3-for-4.
Game notes
Rangers pitching coach Dick Bosman will not be back with
the team next season, manager Johnny Oates said. Bosman, the
Rangers' pitching coach for the past six years, was not with the
team in Oakland for their three-game series against the Athletics.
... Luis Alicea walked to lead off the game, then left because of a
strained left calf. The injury had been bothering him prior to the
game. ... A's left fielder Ben Grieve was a late scratch from
Friday night's lineup with a sore neck. The A's shifted rookie Terrence Long to left field and brought in Bo Porter to play center. ... The A's a 20-8 in September for the first time since
1990. ... Friday night's game attracted 16,000 walk-up fans,
putting attendance at 30,522.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Texas Clubhouse
Oakland Clubhouse
RECAPS
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NY Yankees 2
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Toronto 4
Detroit 1
Minnesota 0
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Texas 5
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