Athletics 1, Rangers 0
Yoenis Cespedes homered and Dan Straily pitched seven strong innings as visiting Oakland defeated Texas for the second straight night.
Straily (2-2) gave up two hits and struck out five without issuing a walk while outdueling Rangers ace Yu Darvish. Sean Doolittle pitched the eighth and Grant Balfour worked a perfect ninth for his ninth save in nine opportunities.
Cespedes hit a two-out homer over the center-field fence in the third inning for the lone blemish against Darvish (7-2). Oakland has won five consecutive games and moved within 4 1/2 games of the first-place Rangers in the American League West.
Darvish was trying to join Tampa Bay’s Matt Moore as an eight-game winner. He struck out five and gave up five hits and three walks before departing after six innings while seeing his five-game winning streak end.
The Rangers finished with three hits while suffering their first 1-0 home loss since June 27, 2004 when Roy Oswalt and Brad Lidge of the Houston Astros combined on a four-hitter.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Athletics CF Coco Crisp was held out despite having three hits in Monday’s series opener. Crisp recently came off the disabled list because of a hamstring injury. … Texas activated C A.J. Pierzynski (oblique) from the disabled list and he went 1-for-3. … Oakland outrighted 1B Daric Barton to Triple-A Sacramento after he cleared waivers. Barton was recently designated for assignment.