Jed Lowrie homered and drove in two runs to lift the Oakland Athletics to a 5-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday afternoon in Arlington, Texas.

The win earned the Athletics a split of the four-game series.

Oakland got off to terrific start Thursday, opening the scoring on a first-inning double to deep right from Ramon Laureano. Chad Pinder drove in the Athletics' second run on a groundout before Lowrie made it 3-0 with an RBI single to cap the rally.

Those runs were enough for starter Chris Bassitt (8-2), who won his eighth consecutive decision after allowing one run on five hits in seven innings. He struck out four and walked three.

Texas got its lone run off Bassitt when Nick Solak's groundout plated Eli White in the second inning.

The Rangers trailed 4-1 after Lowrie led off the fourth inning with a homer to center field. The long ball was Lowrie's sixth of the season.

Texas loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth, but Bassitt got out of the jam by inducing Jose Trevino to fly out to center field.

Oakland extended its lead in the seventh inning when Aramis Garcia came home from third on a wild pitch from Josh Sborz that bounded all the way to the A's dugout.

Texas starter Kolby Allard (2-3) surrendered four runs on eight hits in six innings to take the loss. He fanned one without issuing a walk.

Three Oakland players accounted for six of the team's 10 hits, with Matt Olson, Lowrie and Garcia having two apiece.

Willie Calhoun, White and Trevino each had two hits for the Rangers.

Texas pitcher Joe Barlow, 25, made his major league debut in the eighth inning and put Oakland down on only nine pitches, striking out two.

The Rangers will stay at home to open a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Friday.

Oakland heads back to the Bay Area for a three-game set against the host San Francisco Giants beginning Friday.

--Field Level Media