Texas Rangers vs Oakland Athletics Box Score on Aug 20, 2018

Right-hander Mike Fiers pitched well for the third consecutive game, and the Oakland Athletics supported their new pitcher with a four-homer, four-double assault on Texas Rangers pitching in an 9-0 romp Monday night in the opener on a three-game series in Oakland, Calif.

Ramon Laureano hit his first two career home runs, and Khris Davis belted his 38th, propelling the A's to the 15th win in their past 19 games. Davis tied Boston's J.D. Martinez for the major league home run lead.

The Athletics' win coupled with the Astros' 7-4 road loss to the Seattle Mariners allowed Oakland to move back into a tie with Houston for first place in the American League West.

Fiers (9-6), acquired from the Detroit Tigers in a waiver deal after the July 31 deadline, allowed a leadoff double in the second inning by Nomar Mazara and no other hits over seven shutout innings, lowering his ERA since joining the A's to 1.47.

He struck out eight and walked one while improving his record with the A's to 2-0 in three starts.

Laureano, playing in just his 12th major league game, got the Oakland offense rolling in the second inning with a two-run homer off Rangers veteran Bartolo Colon (7-11).

The 24-year-old added a three-run shot that ended Colon's night in the sixth, extending the Athletics' lead to 7-0.

Colon, who was pushed back from a scheduled start over the weekend because of a sore back, was charged with seven runs on 10 hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out three.

Davis hit a leadoff homer in the third inning. It was his third long ball in two days, and his eighth in 14 games against the Rangers this season.

The bottom of the Oakland order did a majority of the damage, with Laureano, Stephen Piscotty, Marcus Semien and Jonathan Lucroy combining to go 11-for-17 with seven runs and seven RBIs.

Ryan Buchter and Shawn Kelley completed Oakland's 11th shutout of the season with a combined two innings of two-hit relief.

Piscotty, Semien and Lucroy all had three hits, including a double apiece, for the A's, who out-hit the Rangers 14-3.

Texas was opening a six-game trip after having completed a homestand with three wins in its last four games.

--Field Level Media