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 The Athletics rebounded from a shutout loss to Perez a week ago
by blistering the young lefty in a 9-3 victory Tuesday, Oakland's
second straight win over Texas.
Backup catcher Derek Norris and right fielder Josh Reddick each had
three RBIs for the Athletics (17-10).
Norris was 2-for-4 with two doubles, and Reddick 1-for-4 with a
two-run single in the Athletics' decisive five-run fifth inning, all
in support of left-hander Scott Kazmir (4-0).
Kazmir allowed three runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck
out four and walked one.
Perez (4-1), who suffered his first loss of the season, brought in a
streak of 26 consecutive scoreless innings, including two straight
shutouts, but he didn't have it on Tuesday.
The A's chased Perez early, touching him for eight runs on eight
hits over 4 2/3 innings.
"We didn't come out with the best approach" last week, said Norris,
adding that the A's stayed more patient on Tuesday, not biting on
Perez's specialty, balls in the zone.
"He's a great groundball pitcher. We forced him up in the zone. We
got the ball elevated, and got good swings and cashed in on some
runs."
Perez gave up five extra-base hits, walked three — including one
with the bases loaded in the fifth — and struck out three.
The A's broke open the game in the fifth, highlighted by Reddick's
two-run single, and three walks, including two with the bases
loaded.
"My two-seam away just stayed up, and I missed a lot of pitches in
the zone and up in the zone and they got hits," Perez said. "They
looked more aggressive tonight."
Shortstop Elvis Andrus, first baseman Prince Fielder and right
fielder Alex Rios had RBIs for the Rangers (15-12), who broke
through with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth.
Rangers designated hitter Shin-Soo Choo, in his first start in six
games, reached base safely in all four at-bats with a single, two
walks and a hit-by-pitch to lead off the game for Texas.
"Oakland showed they're a pretty good team," Choo said. "Every
hitter, one through nine, is consistent, patient in the batter's
box.
"They only swing at strikes. That's a lot of stress to pitchers.
They change games."
Texas left seven on base. Most of those opportunities came in the
bottom of the order.
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"We're just not clicking," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.
"We're not getting many opportunities in the middle of the order."
A's right-hander Ryan Cook pitched two innings of scoreless relief
and left-handers Fernando Ahbad and Sean Doolittle closed the door
with an inning each and combined for three strikeouts among the
seven hitters they faced.
Oakland used a double from Coco Crisp to lead off the game, a walk
to Yoenis Cespedes and another double by Norris to score twice in
the first and end Perez's streak of consecutive scoreless innings.
The Athletics added single runs in both the second and third and
opened up the game with a five-run fifth.
Oakland scored twice on bases-loaded walks issued by Perez and
right-handed reliever Jason Frasor, and Reddick brought two more in
with a single to right.
Frasor's wild pitch plated Brandon Moss for Oakland's ninth run.
"We got on him early," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said of Perez.
"Typically with a good pitcher on a roll like that your best chance
is to get on him early before he gets settled in."
NOTES: Tuesday marked Rangers manager Ron Washington's 62nd
birthday. Washington is now 0-6 as a manager playing on his
birthday. ... Oakland leads this series between AL West archrivals
24-20 since the start of the 2012 season. ... The Athletics clinched
their 11th consecutive winning month, dating to June 2012. ... Down
9-1 in the fifth, Washington challenged umpire Laz Diaz's call that
Elvis Andrus' line drive down the first-base line was foul. The call
stood after a review that delayed the game 1:38.
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