Oakland

Rangers win, close gap on A’s in first

Published

13 years ago

August 3, 2013

Oakland, CA – The match-up was well anticipated, both teams hold the top two spots in the American League West. The Texas Rangers have won their last four games three included walk-off wins. Tonight they extended that winning streak with a 8-3 victory over the A’s.

Luckily for Oakland, they built a cushion to remain 2.5 games ahead of the Rangers. Extending their losing streak to three games, the A’s did get off to a good start in the first frame. With a 2-0 lead, Oakland took advantage of Alexi Ogando’s struggles early.

“It just didn’t feel good tonight,” Ogando said. “I didn’t have my control like I normally do. It was just one of those nights.”

He yielded a free pass to both Jed Lowrie and Yoenis Cespedes. Brandon Moss followed clearing the bases with a two-run double. Unfortunately, the A’s lead didn’t last long. Nelson Cruz blasted a 2-run homer to center field to tie the game 2-2.

“I felt fine early on, in the bullpen and the first inning,” said Tommy Milone. “Even in the second inning, it was just one bad pitch to Cruz. From the third on, it just escalated.”

Texas added two more runs in the third extending their 4-2. Oakland tried to come back bottom of the inning with two runners on in both corners. But Josh Donaldson hit into a double play to end the rally.

The defense collapsed and the errors began to pile up for the A’s. Craig Gentry grounded a double right past Josh Donaldson at third base to allow him to reach second safely. That set up Jurickson Profar’s two-run homer to left field.

“It’s frustrating,” Oakland’s manager Bob Melvin said. “We’re getting the opportunities, and if you continue to give yourself opportunities you’re going to break through at times. And it did seem like we were swinging the bats like we’re capable of, and then we’ve just been a little stagnant. We’ve been getting the baserunners, we’re just not getting the hits when we have the opportunity.”

Milone’s night on the mound ended after giving up a single to Leonys Martin in the fourth after Profar’s home run. Dan Otero came in and struck out Ian Kinsler to end the inning. Tommy’s outing lasted 3 2/3, yielding nine hits, six runs, two strikeouts and two home runs.

Coco Crisp cut the lead in half bottom of the frame, when he hit a double RBI to right-fielder Nelson [Cruz] who fumbled the ball off his glove. That was the A’s last run despite having an opportunity to score more runs in the fifth.

Robbie Ross loaded the bases with two outs. Runners were in scoring position after Ross gave up two singles and a wild pitch. Chris Young was to pinch-hit for Seth Smith and Rangers manager Ron Washington went to his bullpen and replaced Robbie with Jason Fraser. Melvin then replaced Young with Alberto Callaspo who flew out to center field to end the rally.

“This is what we’re capable of doing,” said Cruz who is facing suspension following his involvement with the Biogensis clinic. “We got into a slump, now I think we’re out of the slump. It couldn’t come at a better time.”

“You never know where things are going to end up,” said Brandon Moss. “They’ve played us well all year. I think they’ve definitely had our number a little bit, so we need to come out and win some games and get some confidence going and finish out the homestand positively.”

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Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 22, 2026

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Advice

Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC