Shea Langeliers hit three home runs, including a two-run blast in the top of the ninth inning that gave the Oakland A’s their third consecutive victory, 4-3, over the Texas Rangers in the opening game of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday night.
It was the first three-homer game of Langeliers’ career and the first by an Oakland player since Jordan Diaz hit three at Yankee Stadium on May 9, 2023.
Michael Kelly (1-0) picked up the win with a hitless inning of relief. Mason Miller earned his first career save with a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out Evan Carter with a 101 mph fastball to end the game.
Carter and Jonah Heim both homered, Marcus Semien doubled and had two hits and Josh Smith went 2-for-4 with an RBI for Texas, which suffered its third straight loss. Jose Leclerc (0-2) suffered the loss for the Rangers, allowing two runs on one hit and a walk. He struck out two.
The Rangers took a 3-2 lead into the ninth with star closer Leclerc on the mound when Seth Brown walked with one out and was pinch-run for by Darell Hernaiz. Langeliers then hit the next pitch 405 feet into the bleachers in left-center for Oakland’s first lead of the game.
Texas took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Semien led off with a double to left and scored on a single by Smith.
Oakland tied it 1-1 in the second inning when Langeliers drilled a home run 404 feet to left-center off Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi.
Heim put the Rangers back in front, 2-1, in the bottom of the second when he lined his first homer of the year, a 393-foot drive to left-center off Oakland starter Alex Wood.
Langeliers tied it 2-2 in the seventh with his second home run of the game and third of the season, a 427-foot drive to dead center field off reliever David Robertson.
Texas then regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh when Carter led off with his first homer of the season. The shot to right-center set the stage for Langeliers’ game-winner in the ninth.
–Field Level Media