OAKLAND — Following his seventh inning home run, Khris Davis was showered with chants of “MVP” by the Coliseum crowd. They have a pretty good case.
The A's slugger belted his 38th home run of the season, tied for the most in MLB, as Oakland shut out the Texas Rangers for the second straight night, 6-0. Davis went 2-for-4, driving in three runs to go over the 100 RBI mark for the third straight season. His 102 RBI this year are second most in MLB.
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Davis continued to dominate against Rangers pitching. He has now hit 27 home runs in 52 career games against Texas, including nine this season.
With the win, the A's improved to 76-50, and kept pace with the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West. Houston beat the Mariners in Seattle, 3-2.
Here's what else you need to know...
--- Brett Anderson continued a brilliant August, pitching seven shutout innings, allowing just one hit, and striking out six. In four starts this month, the A's left-hander has allowed just two earned runs in 26 2/3 innings, for an ERA of 0.68. Anderson also extended his scoreless innings streak to 16. For the season, he is 3-3 with a 3.47 ERA.
Oakland Athletics
--- Jed Lowrie had a productive night. He reached base all four times, singling twice and walking twice. He also notched his 77th RBI of the season in the first inning, driving in Nick Martini on a base hit to center. Lowrie has recorded multiple hits in five of his last nine games, raising his batting average to .272.
--- Nick Martini just keeps getting on base. The rookie outfielder went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored, and now has a .409 on-base percentage for the season. Martini has turned into a terrific leadoff option when the A's face right-handed pitching.
--- Fellow rookie outfielder Ramon Laureano also stayed hot, going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, upping his batting average to .314. He also stole his second base of the season. Laureano has made an instant impact with his bat, glove, and legs.