Rangers rally for 4 runs in the 9th inning to beat the Athletics 9-6

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Joc Pederson hit a go-ahead single in a four-run ninth inning and the Texas Rangers rallied last in a 9-6 victory over the Athletics on Thursday to earn a split of their four-game series. Nick Kurtz blooped a three-run double that Wyatt Langford couldn't chase down in left field to give the Athletics a 6-5 lead with two outs in the eighth. Jake Burger and Josh Jung singled to start the ninth against Justin Sterner (0-2). Kyle Higashioka was safe when Sterner fielded his bunt and threw it over the head of Darell Hernaiz at third for an error, allowing Burger to score the tying run. Pederson gave the Rangers the lead, and Ezequiel Duran added to it with a two-run single. Brandon Nimmo had an RBI single in the third off Jacob Lopez, and Burger added a sacrifice fly in the fifth to put Texas up 2-0. Jacob Wilson had a two-run single off Jack Leiter in the A's fifth and Carlos Cortes followed with an RBI single to give them a 3-2 lead. followed Lopez in the sixth, and Pederson worked a pinch-hit walk with one out after winning an ABS challenge on an 0-2 pitch. ’s two-out RBI double tied it 3-all. Jung hit his first home run of the season — a two-run shot off in the seventh for a 5-3 Rangers lead. Leiter allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. was charged with three runs in 1 1/3 innings after entered with the bases loaded and gave up Kurtz's double. (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth and was credited with the win. Lopez gave up two runs and three hits in five innings. He walked four, giving him 17 free passes in his first 18 1/3 innings.