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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Sure, its the Texas Rangers in town. The very team the Oakland Athletics rallied to beat in Game No. 162 last October for a stunning sweep to steal away the AL West crown from the two-time reigning AL champions. The opponent hardly mattered Monday night. Oakland needed to bounce back and win. Yoenis Cespedes and Brandon Moss hit consecutive home runs in the third inning, A.J. Griffin matched his season high with eight strikeouts and the As beat the Rangers 5-1 to start an important stretch on the heels of a really rough one. This marks Texas first trip to Oakland since losing those final three games of the 2012 regular season to give away the division title to the surprising As, whose latest victory ran their home winning streak in the rivalry to five. "It was big. It was welcomed," said manager Bob Melvin, sporting a bright yellow Golden State Warriors T-shirt under his uniform. "It just felt like we were back in sync." Back home, Oakland looked refreshed after losing six of seven on a 3-7 road trip through New York, Cleveland and Seattle. The As avoided dropping a season-low two games below .500 for the first time since Game 2 on April 2. Griffin (4-3) went seven innings and didnt walk a batter for the first time this season, earning his second victory in six outings since he won back-to-back appearances to start the year. Mitch Moreland homered to give the Rangers the lead in the second, then Eric Sogard and John Jaso hit RBI singles for the As in the bottom half. Griffin faced either the minimum or one more batter in each of his final five innings, helped by a pair of double plays. He improved to 3-0 in four starts against division opponents. "Its the best start command-wise Ive had in the pros, in the major leagues," he said. The right-hander got a scare when he ducked out of the way of Adrian Beltres sharp single up the middle leading off the seventh, and the pitcher patted his hand on his pounding heart once back on his feet. "He was keeping the fastball down and making good pitches," Texas Elvis Andrus said. "There was nothing more we could do. His breaking ball is really slow and its not that easy to adjust to so many mph lower than his fastball." Next, Sean Doolittle came in and struck out the side in order on 12 pitches in the eighth. Cespedes hit an 0-1 pitch just over the centre-field wall above leaping Leonys Martin in the third. But the Cuban slugger came out of the game in the top of the fifth with a stomach bug. "It came on during the game," Melvin said. "He threw up a couple times in the bathroom. Theyre calling it a stomach ailment, they dont think its a stomach virus. They think he should be in good shape to play tomorrow." The Rangers (24-14) arrived in the Bay Area having won seven of nine and began the day with the best record in the majors, but again ran into their division nemesis. Oakland became the first team in major league history to win a division or pennant after trailing by five games with fewer than 10 to play, beating the Rangers in the regular-season finale. Oakland trailed by 13 games on June 30. "Were not in here for any revenge," Rangers manager Ron Washington said before the game. "They beat us, we understand that, but theres nothing we can do about that. ... Im not coming up in here thinking about what happened in the past. Learn from that, but that certainly isnt fueling us. Whats fueling us is were healthy and were playing good baseball, thats it." The Rangers had their four-game winning streak snapped. They havent won five in a row since June 26-30 last year. Texas righty Justin Grimm (2-3) lost his third straight after receiving one extra day of rest between outings. He gave way to Joseph Ortiz after plunking Daric Barton to begin the sixth. Ortiz immediately allowed Derek Norris double. Moss struck out on four pitches to start the second after fanning four times on 14 total pitches in a 6-1 loss at Seattle. Then, he connected for his sixth home run with a drive to nearly the same spot as Cespedes moments before. It marked the second time this season the As hit back-to-back homers, also done by Jed Lowrie and Chris Young on April 3 against Seattle. Moss homer was the 7,000th in Oakland history. Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson hit the first on April 10, 1968. NOTES: Rangers RHP Colby Lewis, a former As prospect who had surgery last July to repair a torn flexor tendon, was examined by team doctor Keith Meister in Texas and diagnosed with mild tendinitis in his triceps. He is scheduled to throw again this weekend in Arlington and pitch his next rehab outing for Double-A Frisco as soon as Monday. ... Oakland Gold Glove RF Josh Reddick is yet to swing a bat to test his injured right wrist, but hopes to do so soon. There is no tear, so he is encouraged he can avoid surgery, which he had on the left wrist two years ago. ... As CF Coco Crisp (strained left hamstring) ran, hit and shagged flies. If all goes well, he will be activated from the disabled list Wednesday. Fellow OF Chris Young (strained left quadriceps) went 1 for 5 with a home run in an extended spring training game, but didnt feel that good. He is set to play again Tuesday. ... Announced attendance was just 11,030, a far cry from those lively sellouts to end last season. Al MacInnis Jersey Large . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. Custom Flames T-shirts . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. 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CANTON, Ohio -- Forcefully and emotionally, Cris Carter summed up the 50th induction ceremony for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night. The seventh and final inductee from the Class of 2013, Carter honoured dozens of people in his life who were "going into the Hall of Fame with me tonight," as he followed Jonathan Ogden, Dave Robinson, Larry Allen, Bill Parcells, Curley Culp and Warren Sapp in being inducted. More than 120 hall members, a record, and a crowd of 11,500 was on hand at Fawcett Stadium for the golden anniversary celebration of the shrine. "I appreciate the process you have to go through to get to be a Hall of Famer," Carter said. "To be able to join these men on this stage in football heaven is the greatest day of my life." Carter needed six tries to make the hall even though he retired as the No. 2 career receiver behind Jerry Rice. He choked back tears as he made his speech after being presented by his son, Duron, and he spoke of his problems with alcohol while playing three years for the Eagles before being released. He hooked on immediately with the Vikings and hooked onto nearly everything throw his way: Carter finished his 16-season career with 1,101 catches for 13,899 yards and 130 touchdowns. "This game gave me identity, gave me a sense of purpose," he said. Parcells also seemingly spoke for everyone in the Hall of Fame, and all the people gathered Saturday night. "Theres a kinship created that lasts for the rest of your life," he said about his experience as one of the NFLs most successful coaches. The master of the franchise turnaround as the only coach to take four teams to the playoffs, Parcells won Super Bowls with the New York Giants in the 1986 and 1990 seasons. "Every organization I worked for supported me to the fullest," Parcells said. "Without that, youve got no shot." Parcells was Coach of the Year honours in 1986 and 1994. He asked to have his bust placed somewhere near Lawrence Taylor in the hall "so I can keep an eye on that sucker." As relaxed as if he had no one to block, Ogden became the first Baltimore Raven enshrined. The first player drafted by the Ravens after the franchise moved from Cleveland in 1996 and was renamed, Ogden was presented by the man who made that selection, fellow Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome, now Baltimores general manager. A former college shot putter at UCLA, the 6-foot-9, 345-pound Ogden starred at tackle for a dozen seasons in Baltimore, winning the 2000 NFL championship. "He is part of the foundation of this franchise, part of the reason we have two Super Bowl championships," Newsome said. Ogden, who was given a 2013 Super Bowl ring by the team, made the hall in his first year of eligibility. He was a six-time All-Pro, made the Pro Bowl 11 times and was the main blocker when Jamal Lewis rushed for 2,066 yards in 2003.dddddddddddd. "Talent isnt enough," Ogden said. "A lot of people have talent, they dont always live up to it. For me it is about maximizing, striving for perfection." Allen, who sniffled his way through his speech, was just as dominating a blocker as Ogden. He also was the NFLs strongest man, once bench-pressing 700 pounds, saying "I did it naturally." A lead blocker for Dallas as Emmitt Smith became the NFLs career rushing leader, Allen made six All-Pro squads and 11 Pro Bowls in his 14 seasons, the final two with San Francisco. He won the Super Bowl in the 1995 season and was voted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, "I just knew I had to win every play," he said. "Thats the reason I am here. I knew if I lost a play, I had 45 seconds to get even." Sapp became only the second Tampa Bay Buccaneer enshrined, 18 years after Lee Roy Selmon made it. He was elected in his first year of eligibility following 13 seasons in which he went from instant starter after being selected 12th overall in the 1995 draft to Defensive Player of the Year in 1999. That season, he had 12 1/2 sacks as the Bucs won their first division title in 18 years. For his career, Sapp had 96 1/2 sacks, extremely high for a defensive tackle. "I sit here with the greatest among the great," Sapp said, breaking into tears. "Were here, baby." Presented Saturday night by his 15-year-old daughter, Mercedes, Sapp made the NFLs All-Decade squads for the 1990s and the 2000s. Sapp, who both Ogden and Allen said was as tough to handle as any player they faced, paid tribute to his roots in Plymouth, Fla. "That dirt road was something rough," he said. "We sure turned it into something special." Robinson became the 12th inductee from the vintage Packers coached by Vince Lombardi to be enshrined. Robinson was a prototype outside linebacker who could rush the quarterback, cover tight ends or running backs on pass plays, and stop the run. He made the NFLs All-Decade team of the 1960s and won three NFL titles, including the first two Super Bowls. "This is the biggest day of the 21st century for the Robinson family," he said, adding that he "lives 25 miles from here but it took me 38 years to get here. "Now, I am immortalized." As is Culp, one of the games most dominant defensive tackles for much of his 14 pro seasons, including the 1969 season when he helped Kansas City win the NFL title. A five-time Pro Bowler, Culp also played for Houston and Detroit, retiring in 1981, then waiting more than three decades to be enshrined Saturday as a senior nominee. "It gives me joy and inspiration that will last the rest of my life," Culp said. "I am just overwhelmed by the struggles, joys and tears of those who made it here. Im happy to join them in the Hall of Fame. ' ' '