Kinsler, Rangers top A's
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ian Kinsler had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored to lead the Texas Rangers past the Oakland Athletics, 6-3, in the second test of a four-game set at the Coliseum.
Derek Holland (5-4) allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks through 5 1/3 innings to earn the win for Texas, which has won two of its last three games on the heels of a four-game losing streak.
"It's my job to make sure to go out there as long as I possibly could despite being a little fatigued," said Holland, who was recovering from a stomach virus.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Joe Nathan tossed a scoreless ninth to record his 12th save of the year.
Travis Blackley (0-1) gave up five runs on seven hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings to suffer the loss.
Collin Cowgill hit a two-run homer while Yoenis Cespedes added a solo shot for the Athletics, who lost for the 11th time in their last 13 games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Texas struck first after Mike Napoli led off the third with a walk and advanced to second on Yorvit Torrealba's infield single before both runners moved up a base on a Craig Gentry sacrifice bunt.
Kinsler stepped up next and pulled double into the left-field corner to plate Napoli and Torrealba. Josh Hamilton added a double two batters later to bring home Kinsler for a 3-0 advantage.
After Oakland left a runner on third in the bottom of the frame, the Rangers added a run in the fourth on a Torrealba sacrifice fly and made it a 5-0 game in the fifth on Michael Young's two-out, run-scoring triple that knocked Blackley out of the game.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But the Athletics started to fight back in the home fifth when Kurt Suzuki doubled prior to Cowgill's two-out blast over the left-field wall.
Cespedes then hammered a leadoff homer in the sixth to close the gap to 5-3.
Brandon Inge followed with a walk and would later advance to second with one out on Kila Ka`aihue's base hit to right, but Alexi Ogando entered in relief of Holland and retired the next two batters to end the inning.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ogando would then strand men on second and third in the seventh and Mike Adams worked a scoreless eighth before Elvis Andrus' RBI single in the ninth gave the Rangers a three-run cushion.
Nathan allowed a one-out single to Jemile Weeks in the bottom of the ninth, but retired Cowgill on a pop up to third and fanned Josh Reddick on three pitches to end the game.
"After last night I think we felt like every inning we had a chance," Athletics manager Bob Melvin said about his team, which scored a season-high 12 runs on Monday. "When guys were on base we felt good about scoring runs."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Game Notes
Athletics pitcher Andrew Carignan left the game in the eighth inning with an apparent arm injury...Cowgill extended his career-high hit streak to eight games with his first home run of the season...Holland improved to 4-1 in 10 career appearances -- seven starts -- against Oakland...The season series between the teams is tied, 2-2.