OAKLAND — Chad Pinder said he just took advantage of a couple of mistake pitches to help the Athletics score against a tough pitcher.
Pinder homered twice to help Oakland end Cole Hamels’ five-game win streak with an 8-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday.
“The guy is 9-1, a tough costumer,” A’s manager Bb Melvin said. “To put two good swings on the ball was key for us and big for him, too.”
Pinder is 4 for 4 with two doubles and two homers in five career at-bats against Hamels.
“I’ve had some success against him,” Pinder said. “I’ve just been able to take advantage of the mistakes he’s thrown me. I was able to get extended.”
Jed Lowrie drove in three runs for the A’s, who put back-to-back victories together for the first time since Aug. 5-6 at the Los Angeles Angels. The A’s have not won more than two in a row since a three-game streak July 29-31.
Adrian Beltre drove in three runs for the Rangers, who lost their second straight after winning 11 of their previous 15 games. Texas has not lost more than two in a row since ending a four-game slide on Aug. 2.
Sean Manaea (9-8) won for the first time since July 16, ending a personal three-game slide. He gave up two runs and seven hits in five innings. Manea walked one and struck out three.
Hamels (9-1) left a game trailing for the first time all season. He was nicked for six runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings, matching his shortest outing of the year. He walked three and struck out two. Hamels has walked 10 over his past three games after issuing 10 in eight starts between July 1 and Aug. 11.
Beltre doubled in two runs in the first and added a run-scoring groundout in the seventh.
Pinder hit solo homers in the first and third and Matt Joyce singled home the go-ahead run in the fourth.
Hamels gave up three hits, a sacrifice fly and walked one through the first five hitters of the fifth, ending his day.
Lowrie’s two-run double in the sixth off Tony Barnette padded the A’s lead.
SPEED ON THE BASES
A’s infielder Matt Chapman, who was running on the pitch, scored from first base on a single from Joyce, a sharp grounder that ticked off Elvis Andrus’ glove into shallow center field. Chapman never broke stride and third base coach Steve Scarsone never hesitated in sending him. “It’s not often you see a guy score from first on a hit like that,” Melvin said. “He was going with the pitch and you could see ‘Scars’ ready to send him. It was just a good, heads-up play.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: OF Carlos Gomez was activated from the disabled list before Saturday’s game. INF Phil Goselin was optioned to Round Rock to make room. … The Rangers acquired RHP Paolo Espino from the Milwaukee Brewers for cash considerations and was assigned to Round Rock. RHP Tanner Scheppers was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. … LHP Jake Diekman made his fourth rehab appearance Thursday night and retired all four batters he faced. He’s yet to allow a baserunner in 4 1/3 innings and has six strikeouts.
Athletics: Mark Canha made his seventh career start in center field, a necessity created when the A’s traded Rajai Davis. A’s manager Bob Melvin said he needed a right-hander against a left-handed pitcher. Melvin indicated Pinder, who started in right field, is another candidate for the position.
UP NEXT
Rangers: RHP A.J. Griffin (6-4, 5.10), who started his career in the Oakland organization, makes the start in Sunday’s series finale.
Athletics: RHP Jharel Cotton (6-10, 5.63) makes his sixth start since coming off the disabled on July 30. He’s 1-2 with a 6.91 ERA in the previous five starts.
