The Athletics return to the Coliseum having said goodbye to veterans Stephen Piscotty and Elvis Andrus as well as a modest two-game win streak.
Zach Logue gave up seven runs in 4 1/3 innings Thursday in a getaway day 10-3 loss to the Texas Rangers, concluding a 2-5 road trip that included the release of two veteran players who were unlikely to be back in whatever form the A’s take in terms of a 2023 roster. Having lost 14 of their last 17 games, the A’s fell to 43-78 with Texas improving to 53-65.
Mike Mathias hit his second home run for Texas, with Nathaniel Lowe adding a three-run shot in the fifth, his 17th. Sheldon Neuse hit his fourth home run of the season for the A’s in the fourth inning.
Logue (2-7), recalled from Las Vegas for the sixth time this season, has given up nine home runs in 45 1/3 innings with the big club this season. Domingo Tapia and Austin Pruitt finished up, with Texas getting 10 hits with six walks and two hit batters against A’s pitching.
Dane Dunning (3-6) was the winning pitcher for Texas, giving up four hits and two runs with three walks and four strikeouts in six innings. Brett Martin, Matt Moore and Jose Leclerc each pitched an inning of relief for the Rangers.
Texas scored twice in the second off Logue on a run-scoring single from Jonah Heim and a two-out solo home run by Mathias.
Neuse tied it in the fourth on a two-run home run, which brought home Seth Brown, who doubled off Dunning with one out.
Logue had a regrettable beginning to the fourth when he hit Lowe on the backside with a 3-2 pitch and then walked Adolis Garcia. Predictably, both scored, with Lowe scoring on Heim’s single and Garcia on a sacrifice fly by Leody Tavares.
The Rangers chased Logue in the fifth when Lowe hit a three-run home run for a 7-2 lead.
Logue first walked Marcus Semien, with Corey Seager following with a single to center. It chased Semien to third, with Vimael Machin coming off the bag and missing an opportunity to convert a strong throw by Cal Stevenson into the second out. Seager took second, and Lowe followed with a home run to right center.
Notable
— The A’s fell to 7-10 against Texas, losing the season series against the Rangers for the first time since 2016 when they were 9-10.
— In his first game as catcher after being the designated hitter two games, Shea Langeliers showed his defensive prowess twice in the first two innings. First, after Semien walked to lead off the game, Langeliers cut him down on a steal attempt with a perfect throw to the bag.
In the second inning, Langeliers retrieved a wild pitch by Logue off the backstop and flipped the ball to Logue at the plate in time to get a sliding Heim.
Langeliers also doubled in the seventh inning and later scored on a wild pitch.
— The Athletics begin a 10-game homestand Friday night at 6:40 against the Seattle Mariners with Cole Irvin (6-10, 3.13) opposing Marco Gonzalez (7-12, 4.18).
After a three-game series with the Mariners, the A’s have three against the Miami Marlins and four games against the New York Yankees.
