MLB: A's shut out slumping Rangers 4-0

ARLINGTON, Texas — Unable to score, the Texas Rangers are fading out of the AL playoff picture.

Trevor Cahill combined with two relievers on a one-hitter and the last-place Oakland Athletics completed a three-game series sweep, their first in more than three months, with a 4-0 victory Wednesday night.

Cahill had a career-best seven strikeouts and walked two in seven sharp innings, limiting Texas to Marlon Byrd's bloop single in the second. Michael Wuertz and Andrew Bailey each worked a perfect inning to close out Oakland's ninth shutout of the season.

The Rangers are 1-5 on this homestand, and have scored only one run in their four-game losing streak.

Texas, which has 17 games left, is six games behind AL West-leading Los Angeles and 6<0x00BD> games behind wild-card leader Boston. The Red Sox beat the Angels 9-8 on Wednesday night in the second of a three-game series at Fenway Park.

Cahill (9-12) retired 16 consecutive batters after Nelson Cruz reached on a fielder's choice in the second inning. When the rookie right-hander walked Ian Kinsler with two outs in the seventh, Oakland already led 4-0.

Rajai Davis put the A's ahead to stay when he was hit by a pitch in the first, stole his 38th base and scored on a double by Scott Hairston. Davis, who also scored the first Oakland run and matched a career best with four RBIs in Tuesday's 6-1 victory, added an RBI double in the sixth before scoring on Ryan Sweeney's sacrifice fly.

Landon Powell homered for Oakland, his drive to straightaway center chasing Dustin Nippert (5-3) with two outs in the sixth. Nippert gave up four runs and five hits.

About three hours before the game, Texas hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo met behind closed doors for about 15 minutes with all of his batters.

The Rangers then went out and were one-hit for the third time this season, and shut out for the 10th time, including three in the last four days. They have scored only one run the past 37 innings.

Byrd's hit was only his second in 15 at-bats. Kinsler then walked before Cruz's sacrifice attempt resulted in Cahill throwing to third to retire Byrd. Cahill then struck out Chris Davis and Taylor Teagarden to get out of the inning.

Texas is 0 for 22 with runners in scoring position in its losing streak. The lone run came on David Murphy's solo homer Tuesday.

The Rangers have a day off before opening a desperation series at home against the Angels, whom they play three times this weekend and four in Los Angeles the final week of the season.

NOTES: The A's had played 27 series since their last sweep, June 5-7 at home against Baltimore. Their last road series sweep of at least three games had been at San Francisco from June 13-15, 2008. ... Light rain fell during the afternoon, but the game started on time. A light drizzle was falling when the game started — and ended.