OAKLAND — Starling Marte’s positive first impression in Oakland only got stronger with a four-hit performance in the A’s 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon. The win sealed a series sweep of the sinking Rangers and put them just two games back of Houston with the Astros losing to the Minnesota Twins.
The A’s haven’t been fewer than 3 games back of first place in the West since they were 2.5 games on July 2. Mid-August may be too early for teams to scoreboard watch too intently — or, at least admit that they do — but the A’s have to be pleased that a shrinking deficit has a lot to do with better play on the field.
“There’s a lot of baseball left,” manager Bob Melvin said. “The swings can seem more dramatic now, there was a time we had a little bit of lead on them and they passed us and had a pretty significant lead, so there’s a lot of baseball left. The main thing you need to do is focus on yourself. We’re playing better baseball right now.”
There’s a clear connection to draw between this success and the new acquisitions’ arrivals. The A’s are 7-2 since Marte arrived from Miami, and he was at the center of most of Oakland’s offense on Sunday going 4-for-5 with his 7th stolen base with Oakland. It was Marte’s 29th stolen base overall, one behind major league leader Whit Merrifield of Kansas City.
Marte’s stolen base almost wasn’t, though. After laying down a bunt single for his first hit in the first inning, Marte was called out at second — but the overturned call was one of two in that inning that sparked a three-run inning. Marte would score on Jed Lowrie’s RBI single.
Lowrie scored on Sean Murphy’s RBI double, and Josh Harrison was called out at home trying to score from first. The call was overturned, and Harrison was called safe to give the A’s a 3-1 lead.
Marte’s single in the fourth inning helped load the bases, an opportunity the A’s could only capitalize on with a bases loaded walk by Lowrie. Harrison hit into a double play to end the inning.
Marte’s fourth hit was a run-scoring single in the sixth inning that brought in Mark Canha, who doubled off the wall in left-center.
“I wouldn’t want to pitch to him,” A’s starter James Kaprielian said of Marte. “I’d say he’s pretty underrated. The guy does it all, he’s making plays on defense. He’s a threat on the bases. He uses all the field. He uses an unbelievable approach at the plate. He’s just a weapon. You look at the guy and he’s built. He looks like a big leaguer. I’m glad he’s on the team.”
Canha, who had two hits, has been part of a top-of-the-lineup infused with new life.
“He’s a pretty electric player,” Canha said. “When he gets on base, he’s so fast that it’s a tool in itself and he’s hitting right now, too.”
Kaprielian’s return: Kaprielian made his first start back from the injured list, a stint that forced him to skip one start with Daulton Jefferies in in his place. Jefferies was optioned on Sunday morning to make room for Kaprielian.
The shoulder impingement that landed him on the IL “wasn’t even a thought on my mind,” he said.
The A’s rookie was strong, tossing six innings with two earned runs allowed. A performance that Kaprielian didn’t appreciate in the immediate when pulled after 84 pitches. Broadcast cameras caught Lowrie and catcher Sean Murphy in the dugout telling Kaprielian he’d done enough to keep the team in the game.
“To be honest, I didn’t even realize I put together a quality start,” Kaprielian said. “So I am happy about that. I was pretty tough on myself. It’s the in-game stuff. The not getting ahead with the fastball, the not throwing enough strikes. The four straight balls to walk (Brock) Holt. Obviously the bats were going today and things were on our side. But, maybe in another situation if I do that, I might not be in the game anymore. So I need to clean that up and I was disappointed in myself for that. The guys around me did a good job to keep my head in line.”
After dealing with years rebounding from injury and proving himself in minor leagues, Kaprielian is hard on himself. But he’s showed mettle in bouncing back. He retired 11 straight after giving up a first-pitch double to Adolis Garcia and a two-strike one to Nate Lowe to score the Rangers’ first run in the first. Holt broke the streak with a four-pitch walk in the fifth.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa tripled to start the sixth inning and scored on a sacrifice fly, bookending an outing that lowered Kaprielian’s ERA to 3.22 in 14 starts. Melvin said the plan was to keep Kaprielian under 100 pitches off the IL.
Bullpen doings: Andrew Chafin turned in his sixth straight scoreless appearance with the A’s in the seventh inning. Yusmeiro Petit gave up a home run to Kiner-Falefa in the eighth inning and walked Garcia before Jake Diekman took over to tackle left-handed hitter Lowe. Petit struck him out after falling behind 3-0 to end the inning. Lou Trivino got his 18th save in a scoreless ninth.
Seth Brown: Back in Oakland as the corresponding roster move with Ramón Laureano serving his 80-game suspension, Brown hit his 13th home run, a solo blast 448-feet into right field against the winds.
