ARLINGTON -- Athletics starter JP Sears worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the second inning. Then reliever Mitch Spence got out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth. Closer Mason Miller had to navigate around a four-pitch walk to start the ninth.
Those are the types of situations the A’s are handling as well as anyone right now, evident in a 2-1 victory over the Rangers on Monday night. A two-run double by Tyler Soderstrom in the fifth proved to be enough offense for the A’s, whose last four wins have all come by one run.
This is a team that started off 0-4 in one-run decisions before flipping the switch with a 4-3 victory over the Rangers on Thursday in West Sacramento.
“There’s a lot of confidence in that room right now,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “They’re recognizing how to win these games. That’s the maturity, that’s the growth that we’ve been waiting for and looking for. Overall, I couldn’t be more proud of the way they played tonight.”
It started with Sears, who continued to impress at Globe Life Field. He threw 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball, improving to 4-0 in six starts at the Rangers’ home.
In the second, Sears gave up a leadoff single to Jonah Heim and a one-out single to Josh Jung. But he ended the threat by getting Adolis García to line out to center, courtesy of a sliding catch by Max Schuemann, and then Jake Burger popped out on the first pitch.
That started a stretch in which Sears retired 10 straight before giving up a two-out single to Burger in the fifth. But Sears responded and ended the inning by striking out Josh Smith on a 78.4 mph sweeper.
“I feel like I was able to get guys off my fastball early with the sweeper,” Sears said. “I used my changeup pretty good [in the] middle, late in the game. I got some good outs with it. I tried to command the zone, get ahead of guys and not get in too many three-ball counts. It ended up working out pretty good tonight.”
Sears’ night came to an end in the sixth when Heim delivered a two-out RBI single to score Kyle Higashioka, who reached on a double to left-center field.
Spence entered and found himself in a bases-loaded jam after allowing a single and a walk. Spence, though, escaped by getting García to pop up. It was a pivotal moment as opponents entered batting .381 with runners in scoring position off Spence.
“The García at-bat, that’s a big out, a big momentum shift in the game,” Kotsay said.
Spence went on to throw a scoreless seventh, followed by a scoreless eighth by Tyler Ferguson and Miller closing it out in the ninth.
Miller issued just his second walk of the season to Marcus Semien to start the inning, but he responded by getting Jung to ground out sharply to third. Schuemann, who moved from center to third in the seventh, made a diving stop to get the first out.
Asked about Schuemann’s play, Miller smiled and said: “It’s awesome, man. It’s the best feeling as a pitcher, seeing a play like that. Just gave him a hug in the dugout. That was a huge play for us.”
Miller ended it by striking out García on an 88.9 mph slider and inducing a game-ending groundout from Rangers pinch-hitter Dustin Harris.
Miller has not allowed a run in 10 of his 11 appearances, and is now a perfect 6-for-6 in save opportunities on the road. Miller said the one-run victories are the “epitome” of a team effort, from the starting pitching to the offense.
“That’s the epitome of a team effort across the board,” he said.
Added Sears: “Obviously winning is contagious. The more you’re in those games, the more comfortable you feel. Obviously our bullpen has done very well the last two, three weeks, so we feel good handing the ball off to any of those guys. Obviously the offense has been getting us some run support early on, passing it over to the bullpen. So, yeah, it’s been fun.”