Athletics 9, Rangers 2: Bolte Hits Two to Spark Oakland's Nine-Run Rout

The A's avoid the sweep with some offense

September 2, 2026 – Arlington – Texas took the first two games of this series and sent Cody Bradford out for the finale. Henry Bolte hit two home runs before the fourth inning ended, Jacob Lopez pitched six innings, and the Athletics beat the Texas Rangers 9-2 to avoid the three-game sweep.

The Athletics are 54-86. That doesn't make the nine-run line any less real.

Bolte in the third and fourth

Henry Bolte's first career multi-homer game unfolded over two consecutive innings. In the third, he tied it at 2-2 with a two-run shot to right after the Rangers had scored on Ezequiel Durán's leadoff homer and Justin Foscue's solo shot. In the fourth, Bolte came back up and crushed his eighth homer of the season over the right-field wall for another two-run blast.

Jonah Heim, back at Globe Life Field after playing for Texas from 2020-25, followed Bolte's second homer with a solo shot against Bradford to make it 6-2. Alika Williams capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the fifth and an RBI double in the seventh.

Bradford allowed five runs, all on home runs, in four innings. When you give up four home runs before the sixth, the bullpen math gets difficult fast.

Lopez over six

Jacob Lopez struck out seven and allowed both runs in six innings to get the win. Over his last 10 starts, he's posted a 2.28 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings. That's not a last-place pitcher's stretch — that's an innings-eater with real strikeout stuff who happens to be on a 54-win team.

Durán's leadoff homer for Texas, his first career leadoff shot, and Foscue's solo blast were the Rangers' only runs. Bradford gave them back in a hurry.

AthX Engine angle

AthX Engine credited Henry Bolte with 19 hitting FP, the top hitter on the Wednesday board. His two-homer, four-RBI, one-stolen-base line made him the day's standout position player. Jacob Lopez added 13 pitching FP for his six-inning, seven-strikeout start. Oakland posted 19 team FP, tied for third among Wednesday's team scores.

The A's open a series at Seattle on Thursday. Texas hosts Tampa Bay.

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*Sources: ESPN recap and box score, MLB.com schedule, and AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*