The Rangers, powered by Josh Jung's return homer, defeated the A's 7-2 on July 22. See how Oakland's anemic offense failed to support starter Jacob Lopez.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a night to forget in Arlington for the Green and Gold. The Oakland Athletics were thoroughly outmatched by the Texas Rangers, falling 7-2 in a game where the offense never found its footing. While the Rangers celebrated the return of Josh Jung, who promptly homered, the A's were left searching for answers after a listless performance at the plate and on the mound.
The A's offense was limited, with no player recording multiple hits in the loss.
The story of the game was largely written by the Texas Rangers. Josh Jung, making his return to the big leagues, was a one-man wrecking crew, homering and scoring three times to power the Texas offense. For the A's, starter Jacob Lopez couldn't find a rhythm, struggling to contain a potent Rangers lineup. The game was largely out of reach before the bullpen even got involved, and the relievers couldn't stop the bleeding, allowing Texas to tack on runs late.
A pitcher can have an off night, but it's tough to win when the bats are silent. That was the reality for Oakland on Tuesday. The team failed to string together any meaningful rallies, leaving runners stranded and failing to capitalize on the few opportunities they had. The box score tells the tale: not a single Athletics player managed to record more than one hit. It's a frustrating trend for a team desperately in need of an offensive spark to climb out of its mid-season slump.
Unfortunately for A's fans, immediate reinforcements don't appear to be on the way. The injury report remains grim, with key arms like Gunnar Hoglund (hip) and likely Luis Medina (elbow) out for the season. Grant Holman and José Leclerc are also on long-term recovery paths with no definitive return dates. While the team did recently activate Ken Waldichuk from the IL on July 19, he was immediately optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas, indicating he's not yet part of the immediate big-league plans. With no new trades or call-ups announced, the current roster will have to be the group that digs itself out of this hole.
The A's will look to salvage the series against the Rangers in the coming days, but they'll need a drastically different performance. The offense must wake up, and the starting pitching needs to give the team a chance to win. As the losses mount, the focus shifts to finding positive momentum and evaluating the players who will be part of the team's future. Tuesday was a step back, but tomorrow is another chance to turn things around.
