ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — Carlos Cortes homered twice and drove in four runs, and Luis Severino threw six-plus strong innings as the Athletics defeated the Texas Rangers 8-1 on Friday night at Globe Life Park.

Cortes, the designated hitter, went 2 for 4 with two home runs and four RBIs. He hit a solo shot in the first inning and a three-run blast in the fifth that broke the game open. The performance was the latest in a productive stretch for Cortes, who had hits in each of his previous four games, including a 4-for-5 effort with a home run and an RBI on April 20 at Seattle.

Severino earned his first win of the season against two losses, allowing one earned run on six hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one. The right-hander faced only one real jam, in the fourth inning, when Texas scored its lone run. Severino retired the side in order in the first, second and sixth innings and worked around leadoff singles in the third and seventh.

The Athletics, who improved to 14-12, struck quickly in the top of the first inning against Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi. Nick Kurtz led off the game with a home run to right field, his fifth of the season. After Shea Langeliers grounded out, Cortes followed with a homer to right-center, his third. Tyler Soderstrom then made it three straight solo shots with a homer to center field, his third. The three consecutive homers gave a 3-0 lead before Eovaldi recorded a second out.

Oakland added three more runs in the fifth inning. Zack Gelof led off with a single off Eovaldi. Kurtz walked after a challenge overturned the original call. After Langeliers popped out, Cortes hit his second homer of the game, a three-run shot to right field, extending the lead to 6-0.

The Rangers, who fell to 13-13, scratched across their only run in the bottom of the fourth. Corey Seager doubled with one out and scored on a ground-rule double by Josh Jung. But Severino struck out Evan Carter to end the inning and the threat.

Texas mounted a mild threat in the seventh. Evan Carter singled with one out and moved to third on a single by Josh Smith. But Severino struck out Sam Haggerty to end the inning and his night. Justin Sterner relieved and got the final out of the seventh on a strikeout. Hogan Harris and Luis Medina each threw a scoreless inning of relief.

Oakland added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth against Texas reliever Cal Quantrill. Jeff McNeil singled leading off and scored on a home run by Gelof, his first of the season. The Athletics finished with nine hits to eight for the Rangers.

Eovaldi took the loss, falling to 2-4. He allowed six runs on six hits over six innings, striking out three and walking two. Quantrill pitched three innings of relief, allowing two runs on three hits.

For the Athletics, Kurtz went 2 for 4 with a home run and an RBI. Soderstrom also homered. Gelof finished 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. The Athletics bullpen combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings, with Sterner, Harris and Medina each working scoreless frames.

The Rangers had baserunners in every inning except the ninth but could not string together hits. Seager doubled and scored, and Smith had two singles. Jung drove in the only run with his double. Texas left seven runners on base.

Oakland first baseman Nick Kurtz’s leadoff home run set the tone. The Athletics have now won three of their last four games and six of their last nine. The Rangers have lost four of their last six.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 30,396 and lasted 2 hours, 27 minutes.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Athletics 5, Rangers 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Texas with a 57.70 percent probability to win. Texas had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 9 went under the over-under line of 8.5.