A's rally to avoid sweep by Rangers

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Mark Kotsay hit a go-ahead three-run double and matched his career high with four RBIs, Frank Thomas homered for the second straight day, and the Oakland Athletics avoided a three-game sweep with a 9-6 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.

Texas is now nine games back in the AL West. The Rangers have the night off tonight, then visit Seattle for a weekend series that starts tomorrow.

Joe Blanton (15-10) won for the fourth time in five starts. After allowing a leadoff single to Gary Matthews Jr. in the first, he struck out the side for the first three of his four strikeouts in six innings.

Mark Teixeira homered twice and drove in five runs for the Rangers, who couldn't hold the early lead they gave Vicente Padilla. Teixeira hit a three-run homer in the third and a two-run shot the next inning for his 14th career multihomer game and third this year. Ian Kinsler added an RBI double.

Thomas homered for the second straight day, giving the Big Hurt career homer No. 480 and his 32nd in his comeback season after two injuryshortened years with the White Sox. Jason Kendall had three hits with an RBI double and reached base four times for the A's, who also got RBIs from Milton Bradley, Nick Swisher and Mark Ellis.

Kotsay drove in four runs in a game for the eighth time and first since June 12, 2005, at Atlanta.

The first-place A's are 5 1/2 games ahead of Los Angeles in the AL West. Oakland still must face the Angels seven times over final 10 games, closing the season with four in Anaheim.

Blanton, a 12-game winner as a rookie last season, matched his season high by allowing 11 hits but didn't walk a batter for the second time in four starts. Justin Duchscherer pitched two innings for his fifth straight save and

eighth in 10 chances overall. The A's expect closer Huston Street, the reigning Rookie of the Year, to come off the disabled AL Rookie of the Year, to come off the disabled list from a groin injury Friday at Tampa Bay.

Thomas connected for a solo shot leading off the fourth, his 12th homer and 38th RBI over his last 40 games.

Michael Young had three hits after going 4-for5 in Tuesday night's 5-4 win and he is 12 shy of reaching the 200-hit mark for the fourth straight season.

The A's lost the season series to Texas for the first time since 2001, 10-9.