The Texas Rangers scored five runs while the Northern California Athletics scored two runs.

All of the best players on the Rangers fell into the Springfield Mystery Spot over the last couple of weeks but at least we got to stay up until midnight watching them play the most irrelevant team in all of sports in a minor league stadium in a transient city the dickhead owner is too ashamed to mention.

Anyway, no Seager, no Semien, no Eovaldi, no Carter, no problem for Texas in the opener from West Sacramento. The Rangers got home runs from Michael Helman and Jonah Heim while Josh Jung led the way with three hits. With the Texas pitching staff keeping the A’s off the board aside from a two-run third inning, victory was secured.

That’s three straight wins for the infirmed Rangers as they have clawed back to within three and a half games of a playoff spot.

Player of the Game: Where it’s easy to cast aside West Coast baseball misanthropy for earnest praise is the work of Jack Leiter tonight. The young hurler continued his impressive pitching in the second half by allowing two runs on five hits with just two walks and seven strikeouts.

Leiter had solid command and was even screwed out of a few calls by the home play umpire, which served to drive up his pitch count. Even so, Leiter made it through six innings on 94 pitches and lowered his season ERA to 3.77 on the year while picking up his ninth win in his first full season.

Seeing Leiter begin to blossom as a big league starting pitcher is not something that seemed likely a year ago around this time and it’s definitely one of the bright spots from this season.

Up Next: The Rangers and A’s are back at it tomorrow night with RHP Merrill Kelly due up next for Texas against RHP Mason Barnett for the Not-Oaklands.

The Saturday evening first pitch from Sutter Health Park is set for 9:05 pm CT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.