AP

Andrus homer, Langeliers double help A’s past Rangers 5-1

Aug 16, 2022, 8:28 AM | Updated: 10:03 pm

Oakland Athletics' Dany Jimenez and catcher Sean Murphy celebrate the team's 5-1 win in a baseball ...

Oakland Athletics' Dany Jimenez and catcher Sean Murphy celebrate the team's 5-1 win in a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)


              Oakland Athletics' Dany Jimenez and catcher Sean Murphy celebrate the team's 5-1 win in a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Oakland Athletics' Shea Langeliers is doused by Tony Kemp, not seen, as he gives a broadcast interview after the team's 5-1 win in a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Oakland Athletics' Dany Jimenez and catcher Sean Murphy celebrate the team's 5-1 win in a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Oakland Athletics' Shea Langeliers is doused by Tony Kemp, not seen, as he gives a broadcast interview after the team's 5-1 win in a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Texas Rangers' Leody Taveras is pursued before being tagged out in a rundown, by Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Texas Rangers' Jonah Heim follows through on a RBI single as Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy looks on in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. Adolis Garcia scored on the hit. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe follows through on a single in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Texas Rangers left fielder Bubba Thompson leaps to the top of the wall to see a fan attempting to catch a two-run home run hit by Oakland Athletics' Elvis Andrus during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Oakland Athletics' Elvis Andrus runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning of the team's baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Oakland Athletics' Shea Langeliers walks back to the dugout after striking out during the seventh inning of the team's baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Oakland Athletics' Elvis Andrus (17) follows through on a two-run home run next to Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Texas Rangers' Leody Taveras is tagged out by Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy in a rundown when Taveras tried to score on a Marcus Semien flyout in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. Athletics' Vimael Machin is at left. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kohei Arihara throws to an Oakland Athletics batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Oakland Athletics starting pitcher JP Sears throws to a Texas Rangers batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Oakland Athletics' Elvis Andrus runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning of the team's baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Shea Langeliers had no plans to give Elvis Andrus a hard time about overshadowing his big moment in front of the home folks.

Both hits were special for Oakland’s rookie and veteran.

Langeliers doubled on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues, Andrus homered against his former team for the first time and the Athletics beat the Texas Rangers 5-1 on Tuesday night, ending a nine-game losing streak.

The Rangers had a three-game winning streak stopped a day after manager Chris Woodward was fired. Texas beat Oakland in Tony Beasley’s debut as interim manager hours after Monday’s move.

Andrus, who spent his first 12 years in the majors with the Rangers before a trade to Oakland going into last season, connected on a two-run shot in the seventh inning in his 31st game against Texas.

Langeliers grew up watching Andrus at shortstop while playing for a Dallas-area high school. Leading off the second inning to cheers from family and friends in the sparse crowd of 15,260, the 24-year-old lined Kohei Arihara’s pitch down the left field line and scored the second Oakland run.

“First at-bat, you’ve got the jitters, you’re excited, nervous, all that stuff,” Langeliers said. “I felt like the only way to get past that was if he gave me a good first pitch to hit, I was swinging at it.”

Andrus’ eight homer of the season and 87th of his career — the first 76 were with the Rangers — put Oakland up 5-1 after the Rangers had the potential tying runs on base the previous two innings.

“It was pretty, pretty good, since last year I wanted to do that for sure,” Andrus said. “So it felt really good. Being able to put that game away, it was even better.”

Sean Murphy hit his longest home run of the season, a 454-foot solo shot in the third. JP Sears pitched five scoreless innings in the former New York Yankees left-hander’s first win with the A’s.

Oakland avoided a second 10-game losing streak this season, which hasn’t happened since the A’s were in Philadelphia in 1945.

Langeliers, who went to college about 100 miles south of the home of the Rangers at Baylor, was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas. The last-place A’s released veteran outfielder Stephen Piscotty.

The ninth overall pick by Atlanta three years ago, Langeliers was acquired in the March trade that sent Matt Olson to the Braves. Debuting as the designated hitter with plans for him to be the backup catcher, Langeliers struck out his last three times up.

That first pitch mattered much more, though.

“I think it’s great,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “I think anybody that gets to the big leagues and they see one pitch, they should be swinging, in my opinion. I thought it was great. I loved the aggressiveness.”

Arihara (0-1) allowed six hits the first time through the order in his first start for Texas since last September. The Japanese right-hander had spent the entire season with Triple-A Round Rock.

Pitching five days after his 30th birthday, Arihara settled down and tied his career highs of 5 2/3 innings and six strikeouts while allowing eight hits and three runs.

“I thought he threw the ball very well,” Beasley said. “I thought the first inning, he got the little base hits that just had eyes. He had some unfortunate things happen.”

Sears (4-0) had allowed five walks in 31 1/3 innings all season with the Yankees and A’s when he walked the bases loaded with one out in the fifth. Sears escaped when right fielder Seth Brown made a running catch in foul ground on Marcus Semien’s fly ball, and Leody Taveras got caught in a rundown between third and home.

ROSTER SHUFFLING

The Rangers designated OF Elier Hernandez for assignment to make room for Arihara. Texas also recalled INF/OF Mark Mathias from Round Rock and optioned RHP Yerry Rodriguez to the Triple-A club. The Rangers signed C Wilson Ramos to a minor league contract with plans to assign him to Round Rock.

The A’s called up 1B David MacKinnon along with Langeliers. They are the 53rd and 54th players for the A’s this season, matching the Oakland record reached twice previously (2007, 2017). The A’s also placed center fielder Ramón Laureano on the injured list with left side soreness.

TRAINER’S ROOM

A’s: All-Star RHP Paul Blackburn will miss the rest of the season with tendon damage in his right middle finger. A decision on surgery should come near the end of the season. Regardless, Blackburn is expected to be ready for spring training.

UP NEXT

Oakland RHP Adam Oller (1-5, 7.26 ERA) and Texas LHP Cole Ragans (0-1, 4.82) are set for a matchup of rookies in the third game of the four-game series. Oller is on his fourth stint with the A’s. Ragans is set for his third big league start.

___

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Andrus homer, Langeliers double help A’s past Rangers 5-1