(TSX / STATS) -- OAKLAND, Calif. -- Khris Davis hit his 40th home run of the season, Raul Alcantara threw five strong innings and the Oakland Athletics defeated the Texas Rangers 1-0 on Saturday night at the Oakland Coliseum.
The A's (71-83) won their season-high sixth straight game and beat the Rangers at the Coliseum for the seventh consecutive time.
Texas (76-78) fell 4 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins, 10-4 winners over Detroit, for the second wild-card spot in the American League. The Rangers, who have eight games remaining, are tied with Kansas City and the Los Angeles Angels in the wild-card race.
Davis became the second Athletic in franchise history to hit at least 40 home runs in back-to-back seasons, joining Jimmie Foxx (1932-34). Davis hit a career-high 42 home runs last season, his first with Oakland. With his solo shot in the second inning, Davis also set a career high for RBIs with 103, one more than he had last year.
Alcantara (1-1) made a spot start in place of lefty Sean Manaea, who was a late scratch because a strained upper back. Alcantra allowed no runs on two hits over five innings with five strikeouts and two walks. He lowered his ERA from 9.20 to 6.86.
Alcantara made a spot start at Detroit on Monday and blanked the Tigers for 3 2/3 innings on two hits in an 8-3 A's victory.
Ryan Dull, Daniel Coulombe, Chris Hatcher and Blake Treinen combined to blank Texas over the final four innings on two hits. Treinen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 11th save.
Rangers right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (8-12) allowed one run on four hits over six innings in his fourth start since being traded by the White Sox to Texas. He struck out five and walked none.
The Athletics took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Davis led off with his 40th home run. Davis launched Gonzalez' first-pitch fastball over the right-center field wall.
After Davis' home run, the A's loaded the bases as Matt Olson and Ryon Healy singled and Matt Chapman was hit by a pitch. But Gonzalez retired the next three batters to escape further damage.
The Rangers had runners on first and second with two outs in the fifth after Robinson Chirinos singled and Alcantara walked Rougned Odor. But Alcantara retired Drew Robinson on a ground ball to end the threat.
NOTES: A's C Bruce Maxwell became the first major league baseball player to kneel during the national anthem as he joined a protest against racial injustice that former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began last season. Maxwell is an African American who was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, when his father, Bruce, was stationed there with the Army during a tour of duty. Maxwell posted a strong response on Instagram opposing President Trump's recent criticism of NFL players who kneel during the anthem. A's OF Mark Canha placed a hand on Maxwell's shoulder during the anthem then hugged him when it ended. Maxwell missed his second straight game while undergoing concussion tests. ... Rangers manager Jeff Banister returned to Clear Lake, Texas, before Saturday's game to be with his mother, Verda, who is experiencing complications from recent surgery. Banister is expected to miss Sunday's series finale, too. Bench coach Steve Buechele filled in for Banister on Saturday in his first full game managing in the big leagues and will fill in again Sunday. "We'll just hold down the fort until he's back," Buchele said. ... A's INF/OF Chad Pinder (sore back/neck) was out of the lineup, one day after crashing into the right-center field wall in the sixth inning while trying to catch a deep fly ball.
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