OAKLAND, Calif. - The Texas Rangers finally showed their power, got a big day from veteran infielder Donnie Murphy and picked up a much-needed win for struggling starter Colby Lewis along the way. It was exactly the type of start manager Ron Washington hoped hed get from his club in the opener of this critical three-game series against the first-place Athletics. Murphy hit two of the Rangers season-high four home runs to back an uneven start by Lewis, and Texas beat Oakland 14-8 on Monday night. "We needed everything we put on the board," said Washington after the Rangers pounded out 16 hits and matched their season high for runs. "They kept fighting back but we didnt stop playing. Tonight it took 14 and we were able to get it." Michael Choice and Robinson Chirinos also homered, and Adrian Beltre drove in three runs to lead the Rangers to their fourth straight win at the Coliseum. Texas swept a three-game series in Oakland in April. The Rangers, who began the night eight games behind the division-leading As, nearly let the game slip away. They led 11-3 before Oakland scored four times in the sixth and once in the eighth. Murphy, who hit a two-run homer in the fourth, helped seal the victory with a solo shot in the ninth for his fourth career multihomer game. "Id be lying to you if I said I didnt get a little bit nervous right there when it got 11-8," Murphy said. "The game could have easily slipped away ... (but) we put together some good at-bats and got a few more runs and felt a little more comfortable again." Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run home run while Brandon Moss added his 17th for Oakland, which still owns the best record in the American League at 42-28. Lewis (5-4) allowed 10 hits and five runs over 5 1-3 innings to win for the first time since May 25. The one-time As farmhand, pitching on five days rest, worked in and out of trouble most of the night off the same mound he made his final appearance on in 2012 before missing nearly two full seasons due to a series of injuries. Lewis struck out two and walked three. "Up until the sixth inning he had only given up three runs, so he was pitching pretty good," Washington said. "Then his velocity came down a little bit and he just couldnt hit his spots anymore so I had to go get him." Coco Crisp got the As going early when he doubled past diving Texas centre fielder Robertson and scored on John Jasos single. Cespedes added a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Texas tied it on Chirinos two-run single off Oakland starter Drew Pomeranz in the second, then broke the game open with a six-run fourth. Murphy hit a two-run home run, Dan Robertson added an RBI single and Rougned Odor scored on a fielders choice to chase Pomeranz. Beltres two-run double off reliever Ryan Cook made it 8-2. Beltre added a sacrifice fly in the sixth. "For a team that leads the league in pitching and usually holds clubs to under four, we havent been able to do that (lately)," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. Lewis and five Texas relievers made the lead hold up. The As, who scored twice in the first, pulled to 10-3 on Moss towering solo home run in the fifth. Lewis left after giving up back-to-back doubles to Alberto Callaspo and Crisp in the sixth. Pinch-hitter Kyle Blanks drew a walk off reliever Robbie Ross Jr. before Cespedes hit his 13th home run to cut the gap to 11-7. Murphy and Chirinos hit back-to-back home runs off Fernando Abad in the ninth. Pomeranz (5-4) struggled in his shortest outing since joining the As rotation in early May. He allowed eight hits and eight runs — seven earned — with two walks and four strikeouts. "I got into some bad counts," Pomeranz said. "Once that happens you become predictable. They waited for mistakes and jumped on them." Callaspo had four hits for Oakland in his first game since being reinstated from the paternity list. NOTES: As starters had not allowed a home run in seven games before giving up four to Texas. ... A moment of silence was held before the game for Hall of Fame OF Tony Gwynn who died earlier in the day. ... The As activated INF Jake Elmore from the 60-day DL and optioned him to Triple-A Sacramento. ... Oakland agreed to terms with 3B Matt Chapman, their first-round pick, and SS Trace Loehr, a sixth-rounder. ... RHP Yu Darvish (7-2) pitches for Texas on Wednesday seeking to extend his career-best four-game winning streak. Hell oppose Oakland LHP Tommy Milone (4-3). Custom Arizona Cardinals Jerseys . MacArthur scored two goals, and the Senators outlasted Detroit in a testy third period to beat the Red Wings 4-2 on Saturday night. Markus Golden Jersey . The Canadian defensive tackle suffered the injury on Monday and had tests done on Tuesday. He was a potential starter on the defensive line but head coach Mike OShea said he wasnt even thinking about the ratio when he got the news. http://www.officialarizonacardinalsfootb...m-jersey-womens. - After three days of light, make that very light, workouts, Team Irvin and Team Carter are ready for tonights Pro Bowl. Antoine Bethea Jersey . Whenever United loses, its crisis. When other top teams slip up, its the quirky nature of the Premier League. The predictable reaction speaks to the sky-high expectations for a team proven perennial contender and 13 times Premier League champion. Mason Cole Jersey . Jonathan Crompton led the team to a 40-9 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Crompton threw three touchdown passes - two to Duron Carter and one to Brandon London - and Sean Whyte connected on four field goals to power the Alouettes to the win.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Kerry, Thanks for the blog, always a great read. I was just wondering about the something that happened in the Leafs/Canes game. So in the second period, Paul Ranger and Alex Semin took minors at the same stoppage. The game then went to 4-on-4, until Dion Phaneuf took a hooking penalty. This made it 4-on-3 for the Canes, which they proceeded to score on and Phaneuf came out of the box. My question is why did Phaneuf come out of the box instead of Ranger? And why does the NHL go to 4-on-4 instead of keeping it 5 on 5 and having the players wait for a whistle? Thanks again, look forward to continuing to read your blog. Thanks,Alex Gane Hey Alex: I hope everyone celebrated a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. CMon Ref is thrilled to return after a break for the holiday week. Thanks also to those that visited me @kfraserthecall on twitter with your questions from games during that period! The answer to your specific question Alex is found in Rule 19 (coincidental penalties) which states, "When one minor penalty is assessed to one player of each team at the same stoppage in play, these penalties will be served without substitution provided there are no other penalties in effect and visible on the penalty clocks. Both teams will therefore play four skaters against four skaters for the duration of the minor penalties." In your example, one minor penalty was assessed to one player of each team (Paul Ranger of the Leafs and Alex Semin of the Hurricanes) with no other previous penalties visible on the time clock. Semin and Rangers minor penalty times were therefore placed on the clock and served as per the rule. It is important to note the while the teams play 4 on 4 as a result of the one minor penalty to each player at the same stoppage it does not create a short-handed situation. From Rule 16, short-handed means that the team must be below the numerical strength of its opponent on the ice at the time the goal was scored. The minor or bench minor penalty which terminates is the one with the least amount of time on the clock.dddddddddddd Thus coincident minor penalties to both Teams do not cause either side to be "short-handed." The formula used to determine minor penalty expiration when goals are scored against a short-handed team is as follows: i) Is the team scored against short-handed? ii) Is the team scored against serving a minor penalty on the clock? If both criteria are satisfied, the minor penalty with the least amount of time on the clock shall terminate except when coincidental penalties are being served. The penalty that caused the Leafs to become short-handed was the subsequent minor penalty assessed to Dion Phaneuf. Once the Canes power-play goal was scored the Leafs were entitled to relief by virtue of Phaneufs minor penalty. Why does the NHL not treat the minor penalties to Paul Ranger and Alex Semin as coincidental and play 5 on 5 you ask? The coincidental minor penalty rule has in fact changed back a forth since the mid 1980s. The Edmonton Oiler young guns led by Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and the cast of future Hall of Fame players were primarily responsible for the initial change from minor penalties being served (4 on 4 hockey) to being treated as coincidental (5-on-5). In late stages of a game with the score either tied or close, a huge advantage resulted for the skilled Oiler players when more ice space was created by a 4 on 4 situation. No one recognized this more than Oiler coach Glen Sather. One of his players would intelligently initiate an altercation or scrum with an opponent where punches were exchanged and a minor penalty to each player was assessed by the referee. The Oiler stars were even more difficult to contain with the extra ice afforded them which often resulted in the scoring of a goal. Eventually the rule was changed to its present form. We also see the entertaining benefits derived from 4 on 4 hockey during overtime in the regular season. Referees have also been instructed to penalize the instigator or aggressor in a scrum wherever possible to act as a deterrent. 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