Matt Chapman had two hits and two RBIs in a seven-run first inning that helped left-hander Sean Manaea coast to a third straight win as the Oakland Athletics routed the visiting Texas Rangers 12-3 on Saturday night.
With the win, the A's (94-61) remained two games ahead of Tampa Bay (92-63) and moved three games up on Cleveland (91-64) in the American League wild-card race.
Manaea (3-0) remained unbeaten in four starts since making his season debut on Sept. 1 after missing 13 months following elbow surgery.
He took a three-hit shutout and 11-0 lead into the sixth inning before serving up solo home runs to Elvis Andrus (his 11th) and Danny Santana (his 26th). Manaea left after 5 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out four.
The game was never in doubt after the first inning, during which the A's used six hits, three walks and one Texas error to score seven runs against Rangers pitchers Brock Burke (0-2) and Luke Farrell.
Marcus Semien had a single and a walk in the inning, while Ramon Laureano recorded the only extra-base hit with a run-scoring double.
Burke registered just two outs in his sixth major league start. He was charged with seven runs on five hits and two walks. He did not record a strikeout.
In winning for the 10th time in their last 11 games, the A's tacked on two runs in the second on an RBI single by Sheldon Neuse and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Semien, then went up 11-0 in the fifth on solo homers by Semien, his 32nd, and Mark Canha, his 26th.
Rangers rookie Nick Solak's fifth homer of the season, the game's fifth solo shot, provided Texas' final run in the eighth, before an RBI single by Josh Phegley in the bottom of the inning capped the night's scoring.
Semien reached base in all six of his plate appearances with three hits and three walks for the A's, who improved to 4-1 on a six-game homestand. Canha scored three times for Oakland, while Neuse joined Semien with three hits.
Rougned Odor and Delino DeShields had a pair of hits apiece for the Rangers (74-81), who lost their seventh straight.
--Field Level Media
