OAKLAND, Calif.(AP) -- Trevor Cahill reached his target of 10
wins. Now Oakland's rookie right-hander is aiming for more.

Cahill scattered six hits over 5 2-3 innings to win his fourth
straight decision and got plenty of support from his teammates,
who stayed on a roll offensively in a 9-1 victory over the Texas
Rangers on Tuesday night.

"It's one of those goals you set at the beginning of the year,"
Cahill said of his 10 wins, three of which have come against the
Rangers. "I've gotten lucky and had I've had my good stuff two
or three times against them. Tonight I didn't have my best stuff
but kind of got lucky, got some double plays when guys were on.
Sometimes it just works out that way."

Kurt Suzuki and Daric Barton drove in two runs apiece for
Oakland, which had 12 hits against five pitchers. Five players
had two hits each as the A's clinched their first winning month
in more than a year.

Texas' loss kept the Rangers 6 1/2 games behind Boston in the AL
Wild card and it clinched a postseason berth for the New York
Yankees.

"They are a pretty good young team and they finally put it
together," Texas manager Ron Washington said of his former team,
the A's. "Their pitching staff is young and those kids have
gotten their feet wet and they are showing their ability that
they have."

Oakland improved to 14-6 in September, tied with Colorado for
the best record in the majors. It's the first time since June
2008 the A's have had a winning record in a month.

Suzuki hit a two-run double and scored on Barton's RBI single
during a five-run seventh when the A's broke the game open to
win for the 10th time in 12 games.

Barton had two hits and is batting .393 (11 for 28) over his
last nine games.

"Daric really the last couple of weeks has been our hottest
hitter, quietly doing it because there hasn't been the big homer
or whatever," Oakland manager Bob Geren said. "But if you're
looking for the most consistent guy for the last 15-20 days,
he's been the guy."

David Murphy had two hits and an RBI while Ivan Rodriguez
singled twice for the Rangers, who lost for the eighth time in
11 games.

Texas carried a four-game road winning streak into the game and
had scored at least 10 runs in each of the four victories, one
shy of the major league record. But the Rangers weren't able to
get much going against Cahill.

In addition to extending his career-best winning streak to four
games, Cahill improved to 3-1 against the Rangers and hasn't
lost to any team since falling to Baltimore on Aug. 11.

The A's right-hander became Oakland's second 10-game winner this
season. Cahill (10-12) retired the first seven batters and got
some help from Oakland's defense, which turned double plays in
three straight innings and four overall.

Jack Cust walked with one out in the fifth and scored when
Nelson Cruz misplayed Barton's sinking liner into a triple.
Barton was running to third when the relay throw home from Texas
second baseman Ian Kinsler skipped past catcher Rodriguez for an
error, so Barton kept going and scored to make it 2-0.

The A's added another run in the fourth on Barton's RBI single
then broke it open in the seventh with five straight hits and
six overall. Rajai Davis had an RBI single to start the inning,
Suzuki and Cust added run-scoring doubles and Mark Ellis also
knocked in a run to give the A's a seven-run lead.

Craig Breslow, Jerry Blevins and Brad Ziegler completed the
seven-hitter for Oakland.

Texas starter Brandon McCarthy (7-4) pitched effectively but
lost for only the second time in his last six decisions. Both
losses have come against Oakland, which has won eight of the
last 10 games between the teams.

The Rangers' right-hander gave up five hits but was done in by
Kinsler's throwing error in the second and by Texas' offense
which went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

"I should have done a better job backing up bases," McCarthy
said. "I have to be a little better than I was tonight."

NOTES: Oakland is 5-1 on its current homestand. ... The A's won
despite leadoff hitter Adam Kennedy getting ejected in the first
inning for arguing with home plate umpire Eric Cooper after
being called out on strikes. It was the fifth ejection of
Kennedy's career, his first since 2006. ... Texas rookie SS
Elvis Andrus went 1 for 4 and is batting .298 over his last 51
games.