WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Interstat) — Jacob Wilson’s two-run single in the third inning lifted the Athletics to a 2-1 win over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park. The Rangers scored in the first on Jake Burger’s RBI single but managed only three other hits. Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs earned the win, allowing one run over 6 1/3 innings with five strikeouts. Mark Leiter Jr. struck out two in a perfect ninth for the save. Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore took the loss, yielding two runs in 4 2/3 innings. Both teams are now 9-8. Attendance was 8,031 for the 2-hour, 41-minute game.

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Interstat) — In a taut pitchers’ duel defined by a single, decisive swing, the Athletics edged the Texas Rangers 2-1 on Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park, knotting both teams’ records at 9-8 and exacting a measure of revenge for a lopsided loss a day prior. The game, witnessed by 8,031 fans and played in a brisk 2 hours and 41 minutes, pivoted entirely in the bottom of the third inning. Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson delivered a two-out, two-run single that erased an early Texas lead and stood as the game-winning hit, as four relievers combined with starter Jeffrey Springs to stifle the Rangers’ offense the rest of the way. Texas struck immediately against Springs. Leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo laced a double to right field and, after two groundouts moved him to third, scored on Jake Burger’s sharp RBI single to left. A walk followed, but Springs limited the damage to just that single run, a theme that would define his excellent outing. Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore was equally sharp early, retiring the first six batters he faced. The Athletics’ offense, however, came to life with two outs in the third. Denzel Clarke sparked the rally with a ground-rule double to right. Gore then lost his command, walking Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz to load the bases. Wilson, the hitter, made him pay, grounding a 1-1 pitch through the left side of the infield to score both Clarke and Langeliers. That sequence proved to be the game’s most critical moment. The two-run single provided all the offense would need, as Gore and the Texas bullpen allowed no further runs. Gore took the loss, falling to 2-1, after surrendering two earned runs on three hits over 4 2/3 innings, walking three and striking out five. From there, the contest evolved into a battle of bullpens. Springs, the winning pitcher who improved to 3-0, was masterful. He worked 6 1/3 strong innings, allowing just the one first-inning run on three hits, walking one and striking out five. He retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced, inducing a crucial inning-ending double play from Nimmo in the fifth after the Rangers had put a runner on. Texas threatened only sporadically. Their best chance to tie the game came in the seventh when Josh Jung led off with a double against Springs. Justin Sterner entered and struck out Andrew McCutchen before getting Danny Jansen to ground out to end the inning. In the eighth, the Rangers put two on with two outs against Elvis Alvarado and Hogan Harris, but Burger lined out sharply to left field. Oakland’s bullpen sealed the victory with precision. Robert Garcia, Tyler Alexander, and Chris Martin provided 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for Texas, but the Athletics’ relievers were flawless. Mark Leiter Jr. earned his second save of the season with a dominant ninth, striking out Evan Carter and Josh Jung before getting Joc Pederson to fly out to right. The victory allowed the Athletics to bounce back from an 8-1 defeat to the Rangers on Monday and even the three-game series. Both teams finished with four hits apiece in a game that defied pregame projections; the total of three runs fell dramatically under an over/under line of 8.5, and the Rangers, installed as 1.5-run favorites, failed to cover. The series continues Wednesday in West Sacramento. Texas will look to reclaim the series lead before an off-day and a trip to Seattle, while aims for a series win before hosting the Chicago White Sox.

Rangers, Athletics Meet in West Sacramento With Identical Records WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Interstat) — The Texas Rangers and Athletics, both sitting at 8-7, will continue a four-game series Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park after a pitchers’ duel resulted in a scoreless tie Monday. The Rangers will send left-hander MacKenzie Gore (2-0) to the mound. The Athletics counter with right-hander Jeffrey Springs (2-0) in a matchup of undefeated starters. A player to watch for Texas is not a hitter, but two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom. The veteran right-hander, now serving in a bullpen role, is coming off a dominant performance. On Sunday, he earned the win after throwing six innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts in a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his last three appearances, spanning 15 2/3 innings, deGrom has 22 strikeouts. For Oakland, right-hander Aaron Civale has been a key figure. He pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win in a 1-0 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday. In his last start against the Yankees, he allowed just one earned run over five innings. Both teams are riding momentum from Sunday shut-down pitching. Texas’s bullpen, featuring deGrom, Jakob Junis and Cole Winn, combined for 2 1/3 perfect innings to seal the win over the Dodgers. Oakland’s Joel Kuhnel and Hogan Harris provided 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief behind Civale to blank the Mets. Despite the Rangers being installed as a -1.5 run favorite, National Statistical’s game simulator projects a 7-3 Athletics victory. The over/under is set at 8.5 runs. This series is the first of two home-and-home sets between the AL West rivals this month. Following Thursday’s finale in West Sacramento, the teams will meet again for a two-game series in Arlington starting April 24. Texas will continue its road trip with a three-game series in Seattle beginning Friday. will host the Chicago White Sox for three games starting Friday.