 retired all four batters he faced in relief of starter Doug Fister. Keone Kila pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save of the season.Kendall Graveman (0-5) got the first two outs in the fifth before four straight batters reached, beginning with Jurickson Profar's double. Texas scored twice in the inning for a 3-2 lead.Graveman, who entered the game with a 10.07 ERA, recorded season highs with six innings and seven strikeouts.Khris Davis' two-out, opposite-field home run in the third was his seventh of the season and 19th in 44 career games against Texas, his most against any opponent.The Rangers' first run scored in the fourth on a grounder when Juan Centeno beat the relay throw to first on what would have been an inning-ending double play. Oakland challenged, and the call stood.Texas added an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI triple by Ronald Guzman.Fister was activated from the disabled list earlier in the day and allowed two runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings while throwing 105 pitches. He was out since April 10 with a right hip strain.As Fister was activated, Texas placed Adrian Beltre on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring.SHORT HOPSGraveman's 112 pitches equaled his career high. . Oakland acquired RHP Wilmer Font from the Dodgers for LHP Logan Salow. . Texas recalled OF Ryan Rua from Triple-A Round Rock to replace Beltre on the roster and optioned RHP Matt Bush to Round Rock to make room for Fister.TRAINER'S ROOMAthletics: LHP Ryan Buchter left with after facing one batter in the seventh inning with shoulder stiffness.UP NEXTAthletics: LHP Sean Manaea (3-2 1.23), who no-hit the Red Sox on Saturday, will pitch Friday against Houston LHP Dallas Keuchel (1-3, 3.10).Rangers: LHP Mike Minor (1-1, 3.86), who has lasted six innings in only one of his four starts this season, will face Toronto RHP Marcus Stroman (0-2, 8.55) on Friday.)
A's hope ace Graveman gets in groove vs. Rangers 2h ago• 2 min read The Oakland A's have been on a tear over the past week and a half but have had that success without much contribution from right-hander Kendall Graveman, their opening day starter and erstwhile ace.Graveman (0-4, 10.07 ERA) will head to the mound on Wednesday at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, to try to get back on track and get a piece of the A's momentum. Texas will send right-hander Doug Fister (1-2, 3.95 ERA), who returns to the team after a stint on the disabled list, to oppose him.Oakland will go for the series sweep on after beating the Rangers 3-2 on Tuesday behind six innings of 1-run, 4-hit from Trevor Cahill and a home run from Mark Canha.The win Tuesday was the Athletics' eighth in their past nine games.Graveman was the losing pitcher in his last start, a 7-3 A's loss to Boston on April 20 in Oakland. In that game, he showcased a modified delivery, keeping his hands near his belt as opposed to bringing them over his head, and also utilized his changeup with more frequency, loosening his grip on the pitch.The results were encouraging -- Graveman's lone blemish was a three-run homer by the Red Sox's Jackie Bradley, Jr. Graveman retired 11 in a row at one point in the game."The mindset is good," Graveman said. "I made really good pitches last week and had a good bullpen session this week, kept it shorter than I have been to save some of my arm, and I just want to continue to focus on location."I'm excited about jumping on board and getting it rolling, too," Graveman added. "That, for me, is the next step, helping this team win. I'm excited where I'm headed, where I'm trending." Graveman's four losses are tied for the major league lead and ranks last in the majors with 25 runs allowed and second in the American League with 35 hits allowed. He has allowed at least four runs while tossing five innings or fewer in each of his first five starts, a mark that matches the longest such streak by an Athletics pitcher at any point in the season since at least 1908.Graveman is 4-3 with a 4.39 ERA in nine career starts against Texas. He was the losing pitcher in his only start versus the Rangers this year, a 4-1 A's loss on April 3.Fister returns from the DL (right hip strain), meaning -- for the time being -- the Rangers will go with six starters on its pitching staff. Bartolo Colon was elevated from the bullpen to a starting role when Fister was on the shelf and performed well, taking a perfect game into the eighth in his first start.Texas manager Jeff Banister said getting Fister back gives his team some maneuverability."It's a lot better than only having four," Banister told mlb.com. "We like the fact we're getting Doug back and we like where (Martin) Perez is trending. Those are positive questions. But we've got some options, and we'll have some decisions to make." Fister is 8-9 with a 3.35 ERA over 19 career starts versus the Athletics, including 0-1, 13.50 ERA in a single start last season as a member of the Red Sox. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings in a 6-2 loss at Oakland on April 4.
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