Oakland @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 11, 2015 ) Texas 0, Oakland 7

The Texas Rangers were eight games under .500 early last month before a 28-14 stretch helped propel them into second place in the American League West. The Oakland Athletics, who find themselves 10 games under the break-even mark entering the opener of a three-game at Texas on Tuesday, appear to be attempting a similar feat.

The Athletics (31-41) have won six of their last eight and are 17-11 since bottoming out at 16 games under .500 on May 22 on the strength of their rotation, which is 14-7 with a 2.11 ERA over that span following 7 1/3 strong innings from Scott Kazmir in Sunday’s 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Oakland has won each of its last two series against Texas since the teams split a four-game set to begin the season and is responsible for handing Tuesday’s scheduled starter, Chi Chi Gonzalez, his only big-league loss. The Rangers may need their rookie to be on top of his game again as they return home after a five-game road trip having scored two runs or fewer in each of their last four – three of which were one-run losses. Texas’ starting pitchers have yielded three runs or fewer in a franchise-record 17 consecutive games.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), FSN Southwest (Texas)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Jesse Chavez (3-6, 2.52 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Chi Chi Gonzalez (2-1, 0.90)

Chavez was dominant Wednesday versus San Diego, allowing a run on three hits while fanning a career-high 11 in seven frames in a 16-2 rout. The 31-year-old, who has logged at least six innings in eight of his last nine outings, has been the victim of poor run support for most of the season, going 3-6 despite a 2.75 ERA since joining the rotation in late April. Chavez made his season debut in relief versus Texas on April 7 with 1 1/3 scoreless innings and is 1-1 with a 5.04 ERA in 12 games (one start) against the Rangers.

Gonzalez has been a revelation for the Rangers after going 3-5 with a 4.15 ERA at Triple-A Round Rock earlier in the year, giving up a total of three runs over 30 big-league innings while holding opposing hitters to a .173 average. The 23-year-old Oral Roberts alum allowed two runs over 8 1/3 innings last Tuesday against Los Angeles, but did not factor into the decision following a ninth-inning rally by the Dodgers. Gonzalez took a hard-luck loss against Oakland five days earlier despite permitting one run over seven frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Gonzalez was the Rangers’ top draft pick in 2013 while Chavez was taken by Texas in the 42nd round in 2002.

2. Oakland’s Josh Reddick, Mark Canha and Stephen Vogt are a combined 29-for-73 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs against the Rangers this season.

3. Gonzalez’s 0.90 ERA is the lowest mark for a pitcher through his first four career starts since Kyle Davies had a 0.77 ERA in 2005 for Atlanta.

PREDICTION: Rangers 3, Athletics 2