McNeil Goes Ballistic: A's Snap Skid With 8-3 Beatdown of Rangers

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Forget the rebuild talk. For one night, the Athletics looked like a wrecking crew, and Jeff McNeil was the sledgehammer.

McNeil ripped four hits, drove in three, and launched the go-ahead homer that powered the A's to an 8-3 takedown of the Texas Rangers on Friday night, snapping a three-game skid in emphatic fashion.

First-Inning Fireworks

The A's didn't wait to make noise. A hit batter, a single, and a walk loaded the bases for Carlos Cortes in the first. Cortes took a 1-2 slider from Kumar Rocker and sent it to right — clearing the bases and staking Oakland to a 3-0 lead before the crowd even settled in.

The Rangers finally punched back in the sixth. Jake Burger worked a full count, then obliterated a 428-foot three-run homer to left-center that tied things up and chased A's starter Gage Jump. Jump went 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on three hits with four walks and one strikeout.

McNeil Takes Over

But where the Rangers saw a comeback, Jeff McNeil saw a highlight reel. His 400-foot blast in the bottom of the sixth — his fifth homer of the season — put the A's right back on top. Per Statcast, it leaves every single MLB ballpark. That's a no-doubter by definition.

Lawrence Butler got in on the fun with a 411-footer in the seventh to double the lead, and the A's poured on three more in the eighth to put it to bed.

Four relievers combined to surrender just one hit over 3 2/3 innings, with Luis Medina (3-3) collecting the win. Texas managed just four hits and went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Chase Silseth (3-3) took the loss after giving up a run in his one inning of work.

What's Next

The series rolls on Saturday with Texas lefty Mackenzie Gore (6-9, 4.43 ERA) going against A's righty J.T. Ginn (8-6, 3.41). If the A's keep swinging like this, the Rangers are in for another long night.