Leody Taveras delivered a walk-off single with one out in the ninth inning, securing a 3-2 victory for the Texas Rangers over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night.

With the bases loaded, Taveras, the No. 9 hitter, grounded a single up the middle and past a drawn-in infield, allowing pinch-runner Ezequiel Duran to score the winning run.

“We didn’t hit the ball hard in the ninth, but we put it in play, and you saw the result,” said Rangers manager Bruce Bochy.

Athletics reliever Tyler Ferguson (2-2) had struck out the side after entering in the eighth but hit Nathaniel Lowe with a pitch to start the ninth inning.

Carson Kelly followed with a bloop single that fell between second baseman Zack Gelof and right fielder Lawrence Butler, prompting Duran to pinch-run for Lowe at second base. Travis Jankowski then drew a four-pitch walk with one out.

“The hit batter gave them some momentum, and the bloop into right field was a tough play, landing right between them,” said A’s manager Mark Kotsay. “Just bad luck in the ninth inning.”

All-Star closer Kirby Yates (6-2) navigated around a single and a walk to pitch a scoreless ninth.

The reigning World Series champion Rangers (64-71), who last year led the American League with 5.43 runs per game, were held to four or fewer for the sixth game in a row and the 12 time in their last 15 games. They are 23-16 in one-run games, and have won their last six games decided by a single run.

 

Jonah Heim’s 12th homer was a two-run shot in the second inning that put Texas up 2-0.

Butler became Oakland’s fourth player with 20 homers this season when he lined a ball that had an exit velocity of more than 112 mph and just cleared the 8-foot high wall in right field in the fourth. The A’s tied the game in the sixth after back-to-back doubles by Butler and Brent Rooker, who homered twice in the series opener Friday night.

The A’s have gone deep 16 times in their last five games, accounting for 24 of their 34 runs on this road trip. They have scored an MLB-high 50.9% percent of their runs (283 of 556) via homers.

Texas lefty Cody Bradford tied his career high with eight strikeouts over seven innings, while Oakland rookie right-hander Joey Estes struck out seven in six innings. Both starters allowed two runs, and neither walked a batter.

“Another great start. He´s such a great competitor,” Bochy said of Bradford. “Talk about it so many times, how prepared he is. Great focus out there and pitched another great ballgame for us.”