Rangers beat Oakland to clinch AL West

Rangers beat Oakland to clinch AL West

SAN FRANCISCO - Cole Hamels threw seven shutout innings as the Texas Rangers defeated the Oakland Athletics 3-0 and clinched the American League West Division crown on Friday.

Cole Hamels of the Texas Rangers improved to 15-5, allowed six hits, struck out seven and walked two against the Oakland Athletics

Adrian Beltre also blasted a two-run homer for the Rangers who won the West for the second straight year and for the fourth time in the past seven Major League Baseball seasons.

Texas reached the World Series in back to back years in 2011 and 2010 but lost both times.

Hamels, who improved to 15-5, allowed six hits, struck out seven and walked two in front of a crowd of 26,000 at the Oakland Coliseum.

He won for the first time since August 25 against Cleveland, after going 0-1 with a 10.50 ERA in his previous four starts.

On September 16, Hamels allowed six runs in a 7-6 Texas win against the A's.

Friday's starting pitcher Kendall Graveman also started for the A's against Texas in that one.

Graveman had a perfect game through six innings Friday but ended up allowing three runs on four hits over seven innings.

Graveman struck out three and walked none in losing his third consecutive game.

Carlos Gomez lead off with an infield single to break up Graveman's perfect game bid in the top of the seventh inning.

After Hamels left the game, Matt Bush pitched a perfect eighth inning and Sam Dyson threw a scoreless ninth to record his 36th save.

Rookie Chad Pinder went two-for-four with two doubles for Oakland.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT