Beltre Slam Spoils A’s Fast Start in 5-2 Loss to Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas — Adrian Beltre hit a fifth-inning grand slam to wipe out an early A’s lead, and the Texas Rangers went on to a 5-2 win Monday night.

The A’s led 2-0 until the bottom of the fourth, when Ross Detwiler (1-1) gave up his first run with Oakland after 11 scoreless innings. Texas had been shut out in the two previous games, and hadn’t scored in 24 innings.

Things fell apart for Detwiler with one out in the fifth. He hit Shin-Soo Choo with a pitch. Two singles loaded the bases for Beltre, who drove a 2-1 pitch into the left field seats.

The A’s had scored an unearned run in the first on an error, a walk and Billy Butler’s two-out single. Ryon Healy led off the second with a home run, his sixth, against Rangers starter Martin Perez (8-8).

Oakland has lost three straight games, and four of the last five.

Texas could have had a bigger fourth inning if not for a leaping catch by second baseman Tyler Ladendorf on Rougned Odor’s line drive with two runners on base.

Shortstop Marcus Semien started all of the A’s three double plays. They also grounded into two against Perez, the major league leader with a Rangers-record 33 ground-ball double plays.