Oakland @ Texas preview
Choctaw Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 28, 2010 ) Oakland 5, Texas 0
A day after getting shut out at home for the first time in nearly a year, the Texas Rangers will look to rebound against the Oakland Athletics in the series finale on Sunday afternoon.
The Rangers, who have still won six of their last nine, will send right-hander Colby Lewis to the mound. The A’s, who got back to the .500-mark for the season, will counter with left-hander Gio Gonzalez.
Lewis and Gonzalez have both pitched well of late so it should be a pitchers’ duel in what’s sure to be a hot day in Texas.
In his last seven starts, Lewis has an 0-5 record despite a 3.33 ERA. The Rangers have scored two or fewer runs in six of the seven starts, including being held scoreless four times.
Over his last 14 starts, Lewis is 5-6 with a 3.24 ERA. In his last start against the Twins on Tuesday, Lewis went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
Lifetime against Oakland, Lewis is 2-2 with a 3.30 ERA in eight starts. Four of his starts have come this season, in which he is 0-2 with a 2.77 ERA. Lewis pitched for Oakland in 2007.
The Texas offense struggled on Saturday, managing only four hits off Dallas Braden as Oakland pulled within 8 1/2 games of the Rangers in the American League West.
It was the first time the Rangers have been shut out at home since Sept. 18, 2009. Texas finished 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.
Josh Hamilton, Jorge Cantu, Elvis Andrus and Alex Cora all recorded hits for the Rangers. Cora was making his Texas debut.
Gonzalez, meanwhile, has become one of the A’s best starters during the past couple of months. Over his last 12 starts, Gonzalez is 5-3 with a 2.20 ERA.
In his last start against Cleveland on Tuesday, Gonzalez threw seven scoreless innings, allowing only five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.
Lifetime against Texas, Gonzalez is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA in six games, including four starts. He has made three starts against the Rangers this season, going 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA.
Offensively, the A’s managed to jump out to a quick lead on Saturday. Daric Barton was the star of the game, scoring a career-high four runs. He finished 2-for-3, including a two-run home run in the third inning. Kurt Suzuki matched a career-high with four hits, including two RBI knocks. Kevin Kouzmanoff also had an RBI single.