The Rangers earned a split in the four-game series despite getting out-hit 12-10 by the A's in the finale. Oakland stranded 10 baserunners.

Adrian Beltre opened the Texas second with a double, the 3,054th hit of his career, the most-ever by a player born in Latin America.

He took third on Nomar Mazara's single, and scored on Rougned Odor's infield hit.

Ryan Rua then bunted back to Mengden, who had an easy play on Mazara at third base. But the young pitcher threw the ball into the left-field bullpen, allowing Mazara and Odor to score while Rua raced into third.

Drew Robinson then made it a four-run inning with an RBI single.

The Rangers didn't score again until Shin-Soo Choo hit a two-out, two-run home run, his second of the season, off A's reliever Chris Hatcher in the ninth inning, providing a 6-3 cushion.

In between the Texas uprisings, the A's nearly caught and threatened to pass the Rangers, but time and again failed in clutch opportunities.

Jed Lowrie had a RBI double, while Khris Davis and Matt Joyce added sacrifice flies to account for the runs for the A's, who were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position against Rangers starter Martin Perez and five relievers.

Perez (1-0), making his first start of the season, struggled through 5 1/3 innings, allowing 10 hits. But he limited the damage to three runs before turning the ball over to the Texas bullpen.

Perez struck out one and did not walk a batter.

Kevin Jepsen, Matt Bush, Jake Diekman, Chris Martin and Keone Kela combined to shut out the A's on two hits and two walks over the final 3 2/3 innings. Kela recorded his second save with a hitless ninth.

Mengden (0-2) took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out two.

Beltre, Mazara and Juan Centeno had two hits apiece for the Rangers, who had also beaten the A's 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Lowrie had three hits, while Chad Pinder, Matt Chapman and Stephen Piscotty added two apiece for Oakland, which has lost five of seven since an Opening Day win over the Los Angeles Angels.

--Field Level Media