OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Nobody's playing great baseball in the wide-open AL West. The Oakland Athletics are back in first place for now - at only one game above .500.
Eric Patterson homered, Trevor Cahill won in his second start since getting called up from the minors and the A's beat the Texas Rangers 4-1 on Wednesday to reclaim the division's top spot and take the series.
"I think that's big in the clubhouse," closer and reigning AL Rookie of the Year Andrew Bailey said. "Everyone knows we have a young team. To be able to go out there and win a series against division rivals, that's going hold strong for late in the season and give us that confidence that we need to continue."
Ryan Sweeney and Kevin Kouzmanoff produced consecutive RBI groundouts in the first as the A's (15-14) staked Cahill to an early lead. Patterson connected for his second homer leading off the fifth against Colby Lewis (3-1).
Cahill (1-1), a 10-game winner last season as a rookie, allowed only two baserunners past first in five solid innings to earn the victory. He was brought up from Triple-A Sacramento last Friday to start at Toronto as the A's deal with an injury-depleted pitching staff.
Daric Barton had an RBI single, doubled and scored a run for the A's. The Rangers had led the division for the first time all season the previous three days.
Cahill gave the A's a boost after their starters had gone 1-6 over the past eight games.
"The biggest thing was I made pitches when I had to," Cahill said.
Brad Ziegler pitched a perfect eighth and Bailey finished the 2-hour, 26-minute game with a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save in as many chances.