Athletics 4, Rangers 0
Sonny Gray pitched a six-hitter and struck out five while Josh Reddick tripled in a run as visiting Oakland clinched the final American League wild card spot.
Gray (14-10) did not walk a batter and needed 103 pitches in his second shutout for the Athletics, who will visit the Kansas City Royals in the one-game wild-card playoff Tuesday. Stephen Vogt added an RBI single and Jed Lowrie drove in a pair as Oakland held off the Seattle Mariners in the wild-card race.
Nick Martinez (5-12) allowed two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings for Texas, which finished off the season with 13 wins in its last 16 games. Left-hander Derek Holland, who was scratched from a start Saturday due to a migraine, came on in relief and yielded two runs – one earned – in 2 2/3 innings for the Rangers.
Brandon Moss doubled leading off the second for the Athletics and Reddick followed by sending a line drive to the wall in straightaway center, just out of the reach of Leonys Martin for an RBI triple. Vogt’s single to center brought Reddick in for a 2-0 cushion.
The Rangers put runners on second and third with none out in the fifth but Gray struck out Luis Sardinas and got Adam Rosales to ground into a double play to escape. Lowrie came up with the bases loaded in the ninth and sent a sharp grounder to second that Rougned Odor appeared to overrun as two insurance runs crossed.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Oakland’s win ends Adam Dunn’s reign as the active player with the most career games without a playoff appearance. Dunn played in his 2,001st game on Sunday. … Athletics LHP Jon Lester is expected to start Tuesday’s wild-card game. … Texas 3B Adrian Beltre went 1-for-4 to finish with a .324 batting average.