Gonzalez Can’t Lift Rangers

Well, maybe it won’t be so easy for the Texas Rangers.

The Oakland Athletics stopped the Rangers’ four-game winning streak, overcoming Juan Gonzalez’s 300th career homer Saturday night to beat Texas, 8-4.

The loss cut the division-leading Rangers’ lead in the American League West to one game over the Angels, who defeated the Seattle Mariners, 5-3, on Saturday night.

Ben Grieve went three for four and Matt Stairs drove in two runs as the Athletics took a 6-0 lead en route to ending a five-game losing streak.

Aaron Sele (18-11) lasted only 3 1/3 innings and probably lost his chance to win 20 for the first time. Sele gave up four runs and eight hits, leaving with the Rangers behind, 4-0.

Grieve, who had sat out three games in a row because of a sore ankle, was back in the lineup in his hometown against the team he rooted for as a kid. Grieve is 13 for 37 against the Rangers this season, 17 for 44 in his career.

Ryan Christenson also had three hits for the A’s.

Gonzalez’s homer came in his 4,239th career at-bat, the fifth-fewest ever behind Babe Ruth (3,630), Ralph Kiner (3,833), Mark McGwire (3,837) and Harmon Killebrew (3,928).

Gonzalez has 154 runs batted in, tying Sammy Sosa for the major league lead.