Rangers 6, Athletics 3: Jake Smolinski clubbed a two-run homer - his first in the majors - and visiting Texas never trailed en route to winning its fourth straight game.

Adrian Beltre collected three hits and Rougned Odor added two hits with an RBI and a run scored to give the Rangers their longest winning streak since a five-game run from April 15-19. Nick Tepesch (5-10) ended a six-start winless drought by permitting three runs over six innings.

Brandon Moss homered for the second straight game and Josh Reddick and Derek Norris each had an RBI for Oakland, which saw its lead atop the American League wild-card race sliced to one game over Kansas City and two over Seattle. Scott Kazmir (14-9) was knocked around for six runs - four earned - on nine hits over 4 1/3 innings in the opener of a nine-game homestand.

Smolinski, activated off the disabled list earlier in the day after suffering a fractured foot in late July, lined an 0-1 fastball off Kazmir into the seats in left-center to trigger a three-run fourth that saw Odor score from first on Daniel Robertson's single. Reddick delivered a bases-loaded sacrifice fly and Norris' infield single in the bottom of the inning plated a run to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Texas chased Kazmir with three more runs in the fifth, capitalizing on a throwing error by shortstop Jed Lowrie before Robinson Chirinos and Odor delivered RBI singles. Moss got a run back with a mammoth blast to right-center in the sixth to make it 6-3 but Roman Mendez and Neal Cotts bridged the gap to Neftali Feliz, who got the final three outs for his 10th save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Moss, who turned 31 Tuesday, became the first Oakland player with back-to-back 25-homer seasons since Jack Cust (2007-09). ... Smolinski batted .389 in his first 11 major-league games in July before injuring his foot. ... Athletics RHP Jason Hammel will miss his next scheduled start to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's second child. LHP Drew Pomeranz is expected to start in Hammel's place against Philadelphia this weekend.