ARLINGTON, Texas _ Shin-Soo Choo swatted a two-run homer and scored twice Friday, and Martin Perez took a shutout into the seven inning as the Texas Rangers snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Oakland A's.
The Rangers had also lost seven straight to Oakland, and the win ensures that the Rangers won't finish in last place in the American League West.
Choo's homer in the Rangers' three-run third was his 22nd of the season, tying his career-high. Nomar Mazara drove in two runs in the first inning with a single, and he now has 99 RBIs with two games remaining.
Perez had a two-hitter after six innings but saw the first three A's reach and score as Renato Nunez connected for his first career homer. Jake Diekman struck out Nunez to end the eighth with the bases loaded.
The Rangers scored more than four runs for the first time since Sept. 20. Choo reached three times, twice on walks and with his homer. The two-run shot gave the Rangers a 5-0 lead. Willie Calhoun collected the first three-hit game of his career and Mazara singled twice. Elvis Andrus went 1 for 4, and his average sits at .298 as he bids for another .300 season.
Perez was as good as he's been all season for six innings before getting touched some in the seventh, but he finished his campaign with a victory. The first three Oakland batters in the seventh reached and scored. Perez walked two and struck out two, and will finish the season with a 13-12 record and a 4.82 ERA in a team-leading 32 starts. Keone Kela finished the seventh without any further damage. Jake Diekman retired the first two batters of the eighth before the next three reached, but he struck out Nunez to end the inning. Alex Claudio worked a scoreless ninth to close it out.
