Otto outpitches former high school teammate, Texas tops A’s

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Glenn Otto earned his first major league win, outpitching former high school classmate Adam Oller and leading the Texas Rangers over the Oakland Athletics 8-1 on Friday night.

Otto (1-0), called up from Triple-A Round Rock before the game, pitched two-hit ball for five innings. The 26-year-old allowed one run while striking out five and walking one.

“We just went with what worked,” Otto said. “I was able to spin the ball really well and got ahead the majority of those first four innings. We battled a little bit and was able to get through some adversity there with some help from the defense.”

Oller (0-2) was tagged for five runs and five hits in five innings. The 27-year-old made his third career start and was seeking his first big league win.

The rookie right-handers both attended Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, Texas, graduating a year apart from one another.

“It was kind of crazy,” Oller said. “I saw him in the offseason when we went back to an alumni thing. I hadn’t talked to him a whole lot up to that point just because we live in different areas in Houston and our careers have kind of taken us on different paths. But it was nice seeing him out there and getting the chance to come up. He threw very well.”

The pair were part of a group text sent out from staff members at Concordia Lutheran before the game.

“Adam’s a great guy,” Otto said. “It’s been fun watching his journey and very cool to get to compete against him tonight.”

Nathaniel Lowe homered to continue his fast start this season and Andy Ibañez also connected for Texas.

A night after rallying from five runs down to beat the Mariners and end a five-game losing streak, the Rangers scored five times in the second inning.

Texas relievers Matt Moore, John King and Garrett Richards combined for four scoreless innings to complete the two-hitter.

Lowe extended his hitting streak to eight games, matching a career high, with a two-run homer off Oller in the fifth. The Rangers first baseman entered the day batting .396 and was 6 for 13 over the first three games of this trip.

Two batters later, Ibañez hit his first homer of the season to put the Rangers up 3-0.

Otto was perfect through three innings before the A’s broke through in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Sean Murphy and Seth Brown.

“He was just in command from pitch one,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “Went up in the zone on the guys that he needed to, attacked away on the guys he needed to, spun on the guys he needed to. It was good pitching. We needed to kind of show that to show the rest of our guys that’s what it looks like.”

A’S TO HONOR DAVE STEWART

Former A’s pitcher and 1989 World Series MVP Dave Stewart will have his No. 34 jersey retired by the A’s on Sept. 11. Stewart won 119 games over eight seasons in Oakland, pitching 49 complete games and nine shutouts while compiling a 3.73 ERA.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: RHP Jon Gray was placed on the 10-day injured list with a low-grade left knee sprain. The move is retroactive to April 20.

Athletics: RHP James Kaprielian (inflamed right AC joint) threw a bullpen session with Triple-A Las Vegas without problems. Manager Mark Kotsay was unsure what the next step in Kaprielian’s rehab will be. … 3B Kevin Smith (left ankle bone bruise) did some light activities on the field.

UP NEXT

A’s RHP Frankie Montas (2-1, 3.63 ERA) takes a two-game winning streak into Saturday’s game. Montas has two wins in eight career appearances (five starts) against Texas. Rangers LHP Martín Pérez (0-2, 6.75) will be working on extended rest after losing his first two starts.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.