Sampson's complete game lifts Rangers to DH sweep of A's

Right-hander Adrian Sampson dominated the Oakland Athletics with the first complete game of his career Saturday night, pitching the Texas Rangers to a 3-1 win in the nightcap of a doubleheader to complete a day/night sweep in Arlington, Texas. Tim Federowicz hit a three-run home run one day after being acquired in a trade, helping the Rangers break open a close game en route to a 10-5 victory in the opener.

Sampson (5-3) won his fifth consecutive start with a brilliant effort, holding the A's to one run on four hits. He walked one, struck out seven and retired the last 12 batters he faced. He threw a career-high 109 pitches.

The 27-year-old with no wins in two previous seasons and no previous start longer than seven innings has allowed just seven runs in 31 2/3 innings during his 5-0 run. The complete game was just the 10th in the American League this season.

The only run Sampson allowed came on a one-out home run by Mark Canha, his 10th of the season, in the fourth inning. A's right-hander Chris Bassitt (3-2) took a 1-0 lead into the fifth but saw the Rangers tie the game on consecutive one-out singles by Danny Santana, Ronald Guzman and Jeff Mathis.

After Shin-Soo Choo was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Delino DeShields gave Texas the lead for good with a sacrifice fly. The Rangers gave Sampson a two-run cushion in the sixth when, with two outs, Rougned Odor walked and Santana brought him home with a triple.

That ended Bassitt's night. He was charged with three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out five. Bassitt had thrown five shutout innings in a 6-1 win over the Rangers in April.

Santana had two hits for the Rangers, who improved to 7-3 on their 11-game homestand. Other than Canha's homer, Oakland's three hits off Sampson were singles by Marcus Semien, Robbie Grossman and Ramon Laureano.

The Rangers outhit the A's 5-4.