SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Adrian Beltre dodged the first attempt to douse him after a winning homer that kept the Oakland Athletics from getting closer to an AL wild-card spot.
The Texas slugger wasn’t so lucky the second time around, though he doesn’t mind so much because he’s having some late-season fun in an otherwise difficult year.
Beltre hit a walk-off home run in the ninth inning for last-place Texas’ 12th win in 13 games, and Oakland’s magic number for clinching the postseason remained at two with a 2-1 loss Thursday night.
The first winning homer of the year for the Rangers was a drive just over the wall in right field off Luke Gregerson (5-5) with one out. Beltre’s his team-leading 19th homer of the season was just his second since Aug. 10.
“It’s been fun,” Beltre said during an on-field first interrupted and then ended by the attempts of teammates to dump buckets on his head. “We’ve been playing very well.”
Texas closer Neftali Feliz (2-1) pitched a scoreless ninth.
The A’s (86-73) already knew they were going to have to wait at least another day to celebrate when Seattle won at Toronto 7-5 in an afternoon game shown on the big video board in the Rangers’ ballpark.
Their seventh loss in 10 games dropped them out of a tie for the wild-card lead with Kansas City, which beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3. With three games left, the A’s still need a combination of Oakland wins and Seattle losses totaling two in order to clinch.
“They’re all different, but the common denominator is we’re not scoring any runs,” said Oakland manager Bob Melvin, whose team was swept by Texas at home last week. “We’re getting opportunities to do it and we’re still not getting them in.”
Oakland’s Coco Crisp reached base five times on two singles and three walks, but Josh Reddick went 0 for 5 behind him and never moved him up to second base.
The A’s put the leadoff runner on five times in seven innings against Colby Lewis, but he pitched around five walks and six hits with seven strikeouts.
With his season-ending no-decision, the 35-year-old Texas right-hander coming off partial hip replacement surgery ended up tied with Japanese ace Yu Darvish for the team lead with 10 wins.
“We talked all season about how inspirational he is,” Texas manager Tim Bogar said. “It was fun to watch Colby go out there and fight through that and get through seven innings.”
Jason Hammel made his first start for Oakland since the birth of his second child over the weekend in Massachusetts. He had a one-hitter in the sixth when Leonys Martin reached on a bunt single with two outs, stole second and scored on Elvis Andrus’ single for a 1-1 tie.
The right-hander, just 2-6 since coming over from the Chicago Cubs in a trade at the deadline, was replaced after allowing consecutive singles to Beltre and Jake Smolinski to start the seventh. Dan Otero got two strikeouts to keep the Rangers from taking the lead.
FACING HIS OLD TEAM
Geovany Soto, playing at Texas for the first time since the Rangers traded him to Oakland a month ago, put the A’s up 1-0 with a sacrifice bunt in the sixth. Brandon Moss held up at third until the bunt was down and scored easily.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: OF Brandon Moss is planning to have surgery following the season after an MRI revealed torn cartilage in his right hip.
Rangers: LHP Martin Perez, who had reconstructive elbow surgery in May, will start a throwing program in November at home in Venezuela. After a couple of trips back and forth, he’ll return to Texas in January to get ready for spring training.
UP NEXT
Athletics: LHP Scott Kazmir (14-9, 3.63) is 0-4 with an 8.58 ERA over his past six starts and has the second-highest ERA in the majors since the All-Star break.
Rangers: RHP Nick Tepesch (5-10, 4.14) has a 2.96 ERA in four September starts.
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