Eighth-inning homers rally A's past Rangers

[July 28, 2016]  ARLINGTON, Texas –- A pair of two-run homers in the eighth inning lifted the Oakland Athletics past the Texas Rangers 6-4 in the series finale on Wednesday night at Globe Life Park.

The A's (47-55) ended up taking two of three from the American League West leaders to extend their series win streak to four. That's the longest run for Oakland since 2014.

Coco Crisp and Kris Davis both went deep to right in the eighth off Texas reliever Matt Bush, turning a 3-2 deficit into a three-run advantage. Davis also homered in the first and leads the team with 25 long balls.

Oakland's late uprising avoided a loss for starter Sean Manaea and denied Texas' Yu Darvish of his first win in nearly two months.

Manaea was solid working into the seventh and kept the A's close. The left-hander fanned nine, scattered 11 hits and gave up three runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Oakland's bullpen closed out the club's fifth victory in the last six games. Ryan Dull (5-2) picked up the win and Ryan Madson posted his 22nd save of the season.

The A’s are 9-4 since the All-Star break.

The Rangers (58-44) once again failed to win with Darvish on the mound. Darvish picked up his last victory on June 3.

Darvish went a season-high six innings for the second straight outing. He allowed two earned runs, both coming in the first, and four hits and struck out six without issuing a walk.

Darvish finished his night with a strikeout of Davis with a man at third. The 6-foot-5 righty let out a yell along with a fist pump on the way to the dugout.

The joy didn't last long.

Bush (3-2) immediately found himself in trouble as Ryon Healy singled to lead off the eighth. Crisp followed with a towering shot to right for a 4-3 lead.

After an out, Josh Reddick and Davis followed with their own single-homer combo to end Bush's night.

The Rangers did score once in the ninth and had the tying at the plate with two outs. Madson was able to strike out Jurickson Profar to end it.

Athletics left fielder Coco Crisp (4) hits a two-run home run during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The A's jumped on Darvish with two runs in the first. Crisp opened the game with a triple down the right-field line and scored on Jed Lowrie's sac fly to deep right. Davis drilled his 24th home run of the season to left with two outs.

Texas cut the deficit in half in the third on back-to-back hits with two outs against Manaea. Ian Desmond doubled into the right-field corner and scored on Adrian Beltre's single to left.

Desmond put the Rangers up 3-2 in the fifth with a two-run shot to right-center field, his team-leading 20th homer of the season.

NOTES: Texas acquired RHP Lucas Harrell and LHP Dario Alvarez from Atlanta in exchange for minor league INF Travis Demeritte. To make room on the major league roster, the Rangers designated INF Matt E. Duffy for assignment. Harrell slides into the rotation as the fifth starter, with his turn coming Sunday. Alvarez adds bullpen depth. ... Oakland rookie LHP Dillon Overton will be recalled from Triple-A Nashville to start Saturday in Cleveland. Dillon fills the rotation the rotation spot left by RHP Daniel Mengden's demotion. ... A's LHP Rich Hill (blister) remains a possibility to start Sunday, manager Bob Melvin said. If Hill is not ready, RHP Sonny Gray will start on his normal rest.

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