McNeil powers Athletics past Rangers 8-3 in Sacramento

McNeil Drives Offense

Jeff McNeil went 4-for-5 with two home runs to lead the California Athletics in an 8-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. The 400-foot shot to right field in the sixth inning and a two-run double in the eighth proved decisive as the home team pulled away from an early deficit.

The final score was Athletics 8, Rangers 3, with the game ending before the ninth inning. Attendance was 8,082.

Early Lead and Comeback

The Rangers took an early lead in the first inning. Cortes doubled to right, allowing Gelof, Wilson, and Soderstrom to score, giving Texas a 3-0 advantage. However, the Athletics erased the deficit in the sixth inning.

Burger homered to center for 428 feet, driving in Seager and Duran to tie the game at 3-3. McNeil followed with his first home run of the game to right field, extending the lead to 4-3. Butler added a solo home run to center for 411 feet in the seventh, making it 5-3.

Late-Inning Surge

The Athletics extended their lead in the eighth inning. Bolte grounded into a fielder's choice, and White scored on a throwing error by catcher Diaz. Bolte reached second, and Heim was safe at third on the error. McNeil then doubled to right, scoring Bolte and Heim to make the margin 8-3. The game was called at that point.

Pitching and Records

Luis Medina earned the win for the Athletics, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Gage Jump took the loss, allowing three runs on three hits and four walks over 5.1 innings. Kumar Rocker pitched five innings for the Rangers, allowing three runs on four hits and five walks.

After the game, the Athletics improved to 48-74, while the Texas Rangers fell to 60-63. The series context was not provided in the official game record.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816531