By STEPHEN HAWKINS
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Marcus Semien homered, rookie Bubba Thompson had a tiebreaking RBI single and the Texas Rangers won hours after manager Chris Woodward was fired, beating the Oakland Athletics 2-1 on Monday night.
Woodward, who was in his fourth season and two games shy of his 500th game as manager, was let go with the Rangers (52-63) on pace for their sixth consecutive losing season. He was the fourth big league manager fired this season.
Nick Allen homered for the last-place A’s, who lost their ninth game in a row.
The Rangers actually have their first three-game winning streak in more than two months — since June 11-13. They completed a series victory against Seattle over the weekend by winning what were Woodward’s final two games, giving him a 211-287 record.
Third base coach Tony Beasley was named interim manager for the rest of this season, and got a one-run win in his first game leading a major league franchise. Texas entered the game 6-24 in one-run games.
Beasley is the longest-tenured member of the Rangers coaching staff in his eighth season.
He had a 590-472 record in eight seasons as a minor league manager in the Washington (2011-13) and Pittsburgh (2001-05) organizations.
Rangers right-hander Glenn Otto (5-8) overcame a career-high six walks, including the first two batters of the game, for his first victory since June 4. He was 0-6 his last nine starts. His only strikeout was against the last batter he faced, and the homer was one of only two hits allowed.
Jonathan Hernandez overcame two walks in the ninth for his fourth save in as many chances.
James Kaprielian (3-7) struck out five and walked one over 5 1/3 innings. He was pulled after Leody Taveras had a one-out triple in the sixth.
Taveras went to third on reliever Sam Moll’s errant pickoff throw, then scored when Thompson hit a sharp grounder through the right side of the infield.
Semien tied the game at 1 with his 18th homer in the bottom of the third. All of his homers have come over the past 71 games since May 28.
Allen, Oakland’s No. 9 batter, lined a homer just over the wall in left-center leading off the third. The rookie infielder has gone deep in back-to-back games after only one homer his first 54 career games.
GOOD GLOVE WORK
Taveras ran a long way to make a leaping catch on the warning track in straightaway center on Cal Stevenson’s drive that ended the seventh inning. … Stevenson, the Oakland center fielder, also had a highlight play with a diving catch on Corey Seager’s sinking liner in the left-center gap in the third. … Thompson, in his 10th big league game, had a running, sliding catch of Tony Kemp’s popup to shallow left in the third.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: OF Ramón Laureano (left side soreness) was out of the lineup a day after he felt discomfort on a swing during his at-bat in the fourth inning at Houston, and left that game.
UP NEXT
Left-hander JP Sears (3-0, 2.30 ERA) makes his second start for Oakland since being acquired from the Yankees in the deal that sent Frankie Montas to New York. He got a no decision in his A’s debut. The Rangers will go with a bullpen game.
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