ARLINGTON, Texas — In some ways, Oakland Coliseum’s finale was perfect, even if it being a finale at all felt like an act of helplessness. Amidst the bittersweet tears, the gathering of keepsake dirt, and the emotional speeches, the Texas Rangers helped turn in a series worthy of their history at Oakland’s home park.
Fighting for victories as their competitors and rivals would have wanted, the Rangers nevertheless showed grace by virtue of their own disappointing issues as the series, with nothing but pride on the line, was about more than just baseball.
The action was just what the disenfranchised faithful needed to show their unique spirit, with one-run victories by the A’s both of their wins, including the last one, but it was the significance of the moments and the memories to be made by sitting in the Coliseum one last time that made the series special, and sad, for any true fan of baseball.
Game 157: Texas 4, Oakland 5 (W: Miller, 2-2, L: Sborz, 2-2)
Game 158: Texas 5, Oakland 1 (W: Festa, 6-1, L: Basso, 1-1)
Game 159: Texas 2, Oakland 3 (W: Ginn, 1-1, L: Rocker, 0-2, Sv: Miller, 28)
A milestone and a memory
Bay Area native Marcus Semien did not start his big league career in Oakland, but the years spent rising as a star came at the Coliseum. It was there, working with Ron Washington, that Semien turned from an acquired defensive liability shortstop prospect into a performer who would eventually be a perennial Gold Glove candidate at shortstop and Gold Glove winner and World Series champion with the Rangers at second base.
Semien’s true baseball coming-of-age happened during his years in Oakland, where he spent six seasons, and on Wednesday night, the 11-season veteran paid his own tribute to the Coliseum by recording his 1,500th career hit to start the night.
The single kicked off a three-run first inning in the eventual lone win for the Rangers, their only one of the series. Of all of the players who stepped on the field during the final series, Semien was the one who had played in the most games at the Coliseum with 407 total games.
The bulldog’s last stand
Nathan Eovaldi’s run with the World Series champion Texas Rangers will always be in his memory and the memories of Rangers’ fans. His performances over the last few weeks won’t take that away from him.
In the series opener, Eovaldi gave up four runs (three earned runs) to continue perhaps the roughest stretch of the year for the veteran. In traditional Eovaldi fashion, however, he gutted his way through seven innings of work, striking out seven and allowing just three hits on the night. Two of the runs scored on outs.
He certainly pitched well enough to win, but the Rangers’ offense, as it has so many times, failed to come through. Eovaldi’s Rangers’ tenure potentially ended with him having made 53 regular season starts, posting a 23-13 record with a 3.80 ERA. In the postseason, of course, Eovaldi became the first pitcher ever to win five games during one playoff run.
The Vandy boys
Had the Rangers’ offense been able to overcome a deficit of three runs, the Athletics’ final game in the Coliseum might have been historical for other reasons. Kumar Rocker gave up the A’s three runs across his 4 ⅔ innings of work before handing the ball to his Vanderbilt teammate, Jack Leiter.
Leiter, who has not had an easy go of it in relief opportunities over the last month, acquitted himself well while finishing out the game. Leiter kept the Oakland bats in check after Rocker departed, pitching 3.1 innings of shutout relief. He walked three, but was able to work himself out of the kinds of jams that have plagued him during his big league stints.
Rocker and Leiter, two pitchers who look to figure prominently in the Rangers’ 2025 plans, were the only two arms that Texas used in the finale. For Rocker, it was the deepest that he has gone in a game during his three starts with this one ending his cup of coffee in the big leagues before he competes for a rotation spot next spring.
Leiter, who moved to the bullpen to accommodate Jacob deGrom’s return to the rotation, gave up a total of nine runs in his two previous relief outings. His shutout appearance in Oakland is an encouraging sign in what is also likely his final appearance of 2024.
Texas now must put the emotions of a difficult series in Oakland aside long enough to close out their season with a series at The Big A in Anaheim against Ron Washington’s Angels.
What were your favorite memories from Rangers games played at Oakland Coliseum? Share your thoughts with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB.
