The Rangers couldn't overcome a nervous two-run first inning from Martin Perez and eventually fell behind 4-2 before Mike Napoli tried to spark a comeback that fell short in the 7th with a solo blast. The Rangers now lead the AL West by a single game with two games remaining. They still need to win one more game.
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The Rangers weren't able to keep the game tied for too long with the A's scoring two in the bottom of the 5th. Marten Perez is out and has been replaced by Scott Feldman while Jarrod Parker remains in the game.
Martin Perez survived the 1st inning and has kept the A's at bay over the next three innings while the Rangers were able to scratch out a run in the 3rd and tied the game at 2-2 on a Michael Young home run in the 4th.
Martin Perez couldn't find the strike zone, balked in a run, and generally looked like he didn't have the stuff to get outs. That's the bad news. The sort of good news is Perez was able to wiggle out of the bottom of the 1st without the A's blowing the game open.
The Rangers have clinched a spot in baseball's postseason but the work isn't finished quite yet. The magic number sits at two but the Rangers only need one win in the season's final series against Oakland to win their third consecutive American League West title.
