Tim Federowicz hit a three-run homer one day after being acquired in a trade, helping the Texas Rangers break open a close game en route to a 10-5 victory over the Oakland Athletics in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon in Arlington, Texas.
A's right-hander Chris Bassitt (3-1, 3.42 ERA) and Rangers righty Adrian Sampson (4-3, 4.14) were scheduled to duel in the nightcap.
Nomar Mazara drove in three runs, two with a homer, and Asdrubal Cabrera had a two-run single for the Rangers, who were beaten 5-3 by the A's in the opener of the four-game series on Friday night.
Texas wasted little time jumping on A's right-hander Paul Blackburn (0-1), taking a 3-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by Mazara before Cabrera's two-RBI single.
Blackburn had been promoted from Triple-A to make the doubleheader start.
Mazara's homer, his ninth of the season, made it 5-0 in the third.
Blackburn handed the ball off to the Oakland bullpen after three innings, having allowed five runs and five hits. He walked three and struck out four.
Oakland closed within 5-4 against Rangers left-hander Joe Palumbo in the fourth. Matt Olson hit a two-run homer, his eighth of the season, and Josh Phegley smacked a pinch-hit, two-run double to get the A's within one.
Palumbo, called up from Double-A earlier in the day, was pulled after four innings. He was charged with four runs on six hits. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.
After Elvis Andrus gave the Rangers a two-run advantage with an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth, the Rangers took command against A's reliever Ryan Dull in the fifth.
A throwing error by Olson produced Texas' first run of the fifth and put two runners on base for Federowicz, who unloaded on his three-run blast to make it a 10-4 game.
Acquired Friday from Cleveland, Federowicz's homer was his first of the season and just the ninth in his eight-year major league career.
Phegley completed a three-RBI day off the bench with a solo homer, his eighth of the season, to wrap up the game's scoring in the seventh.
Andrus finished with three hits, while Mazara, Cabrera and Federowicz had two apiece for the Rangers, who outhit the A's 11-9.
Jeffrey Springs (4-1) was credited with the win after pitching three innings of one-run relief.
Phegley and Marcus Semien, the hero of Friday's win with a ninth-inning homer, had two hits each for the A's.
--Field Level Media
Oakland | Texas | |
Paul Blackburn | Player | Joe Palumbo |
Loss | W/L | No Decision |
3.0 | IP | 4.0 |
4 | Strikeouts | 4 |
5 | Hits | 6 |
15.00 | ERA | 9.00 |
Oakland | Texas | |
Josh Phegley | Player | Elvis Andrus |
2 | Hits | 3 |
3 | RBI | 1 |
1 | HR | 0 |
6 | TB | 5 |
1.000 | Avg | .600 |