Texas Puts Oakland on Hold : It’s Not a Cinch as A’s Can’t Clinch With 3-2 Loss

The Oakland Athletics missed a chance to clinch a tie for their second consecutive American League West title Monday night, but just barely.

Fred Manrique hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning, only the 15th of his 3 1/2-year major league career, giving the Texas Rangers a 3-2 victory at the Oakland Coliseum.

Reliever Todd Burns came on in the eighth, trying to save Bob Welch’s 18th victory. But he gave up a leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Jack Daugherty and one out later Manrique hit a 1-and-2 pitch that struck the screen on the left-field foul pole for his fourth homer of the season.

The Athletics can clinch a tie by defeating Texas tonight, but the earliest they can win the division is Wednesday. Oakland has a five-game lead over the Angels, who were idle Monday night, and Kansas City.

The Royals and Angels start a three-game series tonight. Texas reliever Drew Hall ended a seventh-inning threat to get the victory. Jeff Russell went the final 1 1/3 innings for his 38th save. Starter Charlie Hough gave up two runs and sevenhits in six innings and failed to beat Oakland for the third consecutive time this season after going 8-0 in his previous 10 starts against the A’s.

Oakland took a 2-0 lead when Dave Parker led off the fourth inning with a single and Dave Henderson then hit his 14th home run. The Rangers scored their first run with two out in the fifth when Scott Coolbaugh doubled and scored on Cecil Espy’s single.

Hough walked Rickey Henderson to start the Oakland seventh. Gary Mielke relieved and hit Carney Lansford with a pitch before getting Jose Canseco to ground into a force at second. Hall took over and Parker grounded into an inning-ending double play.