Rangers, A's turn to new faces to conclude testy series

Texas Rangers rookie Pedro Payano and Oakland Athletics newcomer Jake Diekman get thrown into a tense situation Sunday afternoon when the American League West rivals complete a four-game series in Oakland, Calif.

Emotions boiled Saturday night after A's center fielder Ramon Laureano crushed a home run against Rangers starter Adrian Sampson, Oakland's fourth homer of the game off the right-hander. After watching his 413-foot bomb land in the left field bleachers, Laureano looked at Sampson and gestured toward his bat, which the Ranger had stepped upon in anger when the clubs met in Texas last month.

The two jawed while Laureano jogged toward first base, but nothing else came of it ... until Rangers reliever Rafael Montero hit Laureano with a pitch in the eighth inning, getting ejected.

Earlier in the game, Sampson had hit the A's Mark Canha after he had homered in his previous at-bat. That plunking did not result in any incident.

The A's held on to win 5-4, and will send ace Mike Fiers (9-3, 3.57 ERA) in search of a series split in Sunday's finale.

Fiers is unbeaten in his last seven home starts, going 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA.

The right-hander has faced the Rangers 10 times in his career, nine times as a starter, logging a 3-3 record and 6.59 ERA.

Fiers will be supported for the first time by Diekman, a left-handed reliever acquired by the A's from Kansas City on Saturday for two prospects.

"He's a tough customer," A's manager Bob Melvin assured reporters before Saturday's game. "Watching left-handers around the league have to deal with him, it's certainly not a comfortable at-bat. It makes us a lot better. This is a guy we've targeted here for a little bit, finally got it done, and we're glad to have him."

Diekman, a four-year member of the Rangers earlier in his career, has faced Texas three times since being dealt to Arizona last July. After signing with Kansas City as a free agent in the offseason, he allowed a total of three hits, three walks and two runs, striking out five, in 2 1/3 innings against his old mates this season.

The Rangers will counter with Payano (1-0, 1.50), who will be making his first major league start.

The 24-year-old New York City native has pitched twice for the Rangers, throwing five innings of three-hit, one-run ball in relief at Seattle in his most recent outing Tuesday.

He has never faced the A's.

Payano would be a candidate to fill a rotation spot long term should the Rangers trade Mike Minor before Wednesday's deadline.

Texas management has acknowledged that Minor has been the subject of trade discussions, and Saturday, manager Chris Woodward made the unusual move of pushing back his left-hander's next scheduled start from Tuesday to Wednesday night to avoid a possible distraction on deadline day.

The deadline is Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. The Rangers play the Mariners at 8:05 p.m. ET that day.

"It creates an issue if there is a possibility he could be traded," Woodward explained to reporters. "Obviously with Mike, everybody knows he is getting a lot of publicity about being traded. It just makes sense to hold him back. If Mike is still a Texas Ranger, he will pitch on Wednesday."

--Field Level Media