Rally in Ninth Has Texas in First

OAKLAND —  Winning their fifth consecutive game was nice. Retaking first place in the American League West was a bonus. The thing that really pleased the Texas Rangers about Saturday’s victory, though, was the way it happened.

The Rangers were down to their last strike when Luis Alicea lined a three-run double off the wall in right-center field as Texas defeated the Oakland Athletics, 4-2. It was the third game in a row the Rangers won in the ninth inning.

“It’s wonderful. It’s shades of what we were doing earlier in the year,” said John Wetteland, who got his third save in as many games since the All-Star break. “To win close ones like this is real important.”

The Rangers loaded the bases against Mike Fetters (1-3) on a one-out single, a walk and an error by first baseman Brian Lesher, who entered the game half an inning earlier.

Fetters got Kevin Elster to line to short for the second out, but Alicea slammed a 3-2 pitch off the top of the wall. Left fielder Rickey Henderson then dropped an easy fly ball hit by Tom Goodwin, allowing the Rangers’ fourth run to score.

Lesher, a converted outfielder, came into the game in the eighth as a pinch-runner for first baseman Jason Giambi.

“I just took my eye off the ball, maybe tried to rush it, and bad things happen when you try to rush,” Lesher said of the routine grounder that could have started a game-ending double play. “That game could have been over right there.”

The Rangers broke ties in the ninth inning to beat the A’s on Thursday and Friday, defeating closer Bill Taylor in both games. This time, it was Fetters who couldn’t hold Texas.

The A’s failed to win a game in which they led going into the ninth inning for the first time in 35 games this season.