The A’s were on the wrong side of a pitching duel at the Coliseum tonight, losing to the Texas Rangers 4-1 in the series opener.
The starting pitching on both sides was excellent, as each went seven innings and allowed just a single run. The A’s bullpen fell apart in the ninth, though, allowing three runs in a rare meltdown from the ‘pen.
With both teams' aces going tonight, it looked like spectators were in store for a pitching duel. And that’s exactly what happened in this game, with Frankie Montas facing off against Martin Perez for seven innings apiece tonight at the Coliseum.