A’s clinch AL wild card with 4-0 win at Texas

Oakland Athletics Josh Reddick, right, is congratulated by manager Bob Melvin after scoring during the second inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014. Reddick scored on a single by teammate Stephen Vogt. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Oakland Athletics Josh Reddick, right, is congratulated by manager Bob Melvin after scoring during the second inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014. Reddick scored on a single by teammate Stephen Vogt. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

By Associated Press September 28, 2014 1 min read

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – The Oakland Athletics finally clinched their third consecutive playoff berth – on the last day of the regular season after a prolonged slump.

Sonny Gray threw a six-hitter to win for the first time in five September starts, Josh Reddick had an RBI triple and Oakland beat the Texas Rangers 4-0 Sunday to clinch the American League’s second wild card.

The A’s lost 30 of their previous 45 games before winning game No. 162. They play the win-or-go-home wild-card game Tuesday night at Kansas City, which won five of the seven games in the season series against Oakland (88-74).

Adam Dunn, acquired by the A’s on Aug. 31, is going to the playoffs for the first time after playing his 2,001st career game – the most by any active player before getting to the postseason.

Gray (14-10) was 12-3 at the end of July, but was 1-7 in his 11 previous starts before Sunday.