Triggs pitches A’s past Rangers to fourth straight win

ARLINGTON, TEXAS >> The way the A’s starting rotation is going right now, each member seems to want to keep the line moving. An- drew Triggs made sure not to fall behind.

Triggs continued what has been a strong showing by A’s starters lately, allowing just one run on four hits with a walk and six strikeouts over six innings of work in Tuesday’s 3-2 victory over the Rangers, their fourth win in a row. It’s the sixth time in the past nine games an A’s starter has allowed one run or less. The A’s have now won eight of their last nine games, and Tuesday’s win guaranteed them their third consecutive series victory.

Picking up the win to go 2-0 with a 4.70 ERA through five starts, Triggs felt a little more satisfaction this time out as he finally was able to complete six innings for the first time this season.

“I was ready to go back out for seven,” said Triggs, who finished the night with only 81 pitches. “I was kind of sticking in the back of my head only going five or five- plus. I wanted go deeper than that. Seeing what all these (starters) are doing, you kind of want to feed off of them. It was a nice step in that direction. Everyone’s goal is to go out there and finish a game. That’s what we’re all working for.”

The only trouble Triggs really found himself in came in the sixth. After the A’s (13-11) had taken the lead in the top half on Mark Canha’s solo home run to right off Cole Hamels, Triggs loaded the bases with just one out, bringing Adrian Beltre to the plate.

Looking like he was on the ropes, Triggs allowed the Rangers (8-17) to tie the game on a sacrifice fly to right by Beltre, but he finished off the inning and his outing by retiring Joey Gallo on a ground out to limit the damage to just the one run.

It was a nice rebound for Triggs after getting beat up in his last outing for six runs as he lasted just 1 1/3 innings.

The A’s quickly took the lead back in the seventh after Jed Lowrie doubled home Marcus Semien. Matt Olson added another run in the seventh, with a double off the left field wall that enabled Matt Chapman to score from first.

Melvin went to closer Blake Treinen with one out in the eighth looking for the five-out save. But Treinen took a liner to the right leg from Shin-Soo Choo and immediately left the game after limping around the infield a bit as he was checked on by the A’s training staff.

The diagnosis on Treinen was a bruised right shin. The team will wait to see how he feels Wednesday, but Melvin doesn’t expect the injury to be too severe. The A’s have an off day Thursday before beginning a three-game series in Houston Friday.

“He’s all right. A little sore. That got him pretty good,” Melvin said. “Hopefully with the off day he’ll be good to go after that.”

It was the A’s 11th victory when scoring first, tying the Astros, Yankees, and Angels for most in the A.L.