The Rangers jumped their division lead up by a game and knocked two games off their magic number today. This is how half of that lead and one of those magic number games was earned:
The Angels lost 9-1 to the A's, with the bottom of the first inning looking like this. . .
Jemile Weeks walks.
Coco Crisp walks. Jemile Weeks to 2nd.
Josh Willingham walks. Jemile Weeks to 3rd. Coco Crisp to 2nd.
Hideki Matsui singles on a ground ball to right fielder Vernon Wells. Jemile Weeks scores. Coco Crisp scores. Josh Willingham to 3rd.
Scott Sizemore walks. Hideki Matsui to 2nd.
David DeJesus reaches on force attempt, throwing error by first baseman Mark Trumbo. Josh Willingham scores. Hideki Matsui to 3rd. Scott Sizemore to 2nd.
Conor Jackson hits a grand slam (3) to left field. Hideki Matsui scores. Scott Sizemore scores. David DeJesus scores.
Kurt Suzuki grounds out, third baseman Alberto Callaspo to first baseman Mark Trumbo.
Cliff Pennington doubles (11) on a line drive to left fielder Howard Kendrick.
Jemile Weeks singles on a ground ball to center fielder Mike Trout. Cliff Pennington scores.
Coco Crisp singles on a line drive to center fielder Mike Trout. Jemile Weeks to 2nd.
Josh Willingham flies out to center fielder Mike Trout.
Hideki Matsui walks. Jemile Weeks to 3rd. Coco Crisp to 2nd.
Scott Sizemore lines out to right fielder Vernon Wells.
If you're scoring at home, that's seven runs on two hits before the Angels had even recorded an out. Once the dust had settled, the Angels were down 8-0 before the second inning even began, with only five hits allowed, and a win probability of 2.2%. It looked like the Rangers were at least going to tread water in the division before things had even really started, and it's all thanks to Joel Piniero.
2.2% in the first inning!