With help from Texas, A’s clinch AL West

Football

With help from Texas, A’s clinch AL West

Published: 23 Sep. 2013, 20:51

The Oakland A’s clinched their 16th division crown and 25th postseason appearance yesterday when Texas lost 4-0 at Kansas City. Oakland was playing the Minnesota Twins.

Sonny Gray (4-3) gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings for Oakland, calling it “one of the most nerve-racking starts I’ve ever had.’’ The A’s scored six runs in the second inning and one in each of the next five to set the stage for their own celebration.

Evan Scribner struck out Josmil Pinto swinging for the final out. The A’s sprinted out of the dugout, jumping around in their gold uniforms to turn the infield into a blur.

For the A’s, it was a far less dramatic scene than a year ago, when they won the AL West on the final day of the regular season by beating Texas to complete a series sweep.