Shea Langeliers hit three home runs, including a two-run shot in the ninth inning, that helped the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Langeliers, who attended Keller High and played college baseball at Baylor, expressed his satisfaction with his performance, especially hitting the winning home run. “It feels good to get something like that when you’re seeing the ball that good,” Langeliers said.
The Athletics have won three of their last four games, improving their record to 4-7. Manager Mark Kotsay acknowledged their improved performance compared to last season’s challenging start.
“We’ve played better baseball since the start of the season when we kind of got off to an unnerving start,” Kotsay said. On the other hand, the reigning World Series champions, the Texas Rangers (6-5), are currently on a three-game losing streak, facing their first struggles of the season.
“We ran into a guy that just had a huge night,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy commented on Langeliers’ performance. The game was tied 3-3 in the ninth inning when Langeliers hit his decisive home run off José Leclerc, securing Oakland’s victory.
It was the first time Langeliers hit three home runs in a single game, adding to his impressive performance this season. Michael Kelly earned the win for the Athletics, while Mason Miller secured their first save of the season.
The Rangers had taken the lead earlier in the game, but Oakland managed to rally, with contributions from Jonah Heim and Evan Carter, who both hit home runs.
Corey Seager, the Rangers’ All-Star shortstop, was rested for the second time this season as part of his recovery from sports hernia surgery earlier in the year.
