Rangers @ Athletics: A’s look to Even the Score

The Texas Rangers are getting hot.  They have won five in a row with their last win coming against division rivals and leaders the Oakland Athletics, 8-3.

The Rangers win was only the first in a three-game series and they will be looking to keep their winning ways up against the A’s so they can eventually toppled them off the top of the AL West.

While the Rangers are on a winning streak, the A’s have now lost three in a row.  They are also well aware that Texas is only 2.5 games away from taking the division away.  Oakland needs to start winning and soon.

It took Texas a month to gain any ground against the A’s and now that they are moving they have no plans of stopping.

There’s two months of baseball yet to be played.  I think in any series once you get into August, especially when you’re playing your division rival in close proximity to you in the standings, it always takes on a little more importance.

-Bob Melvin, A’s manager

The Rangers will be starting Matt Garza today.  It is Garza’s third start as a Ranger.  Garza has an overall ERA of 2.95 but has had a 1.88 since joining the Rangers.  In his last time on the mound he gave up three runs over seven innings against the Los Angeles Angels.

Garza has a streak of eight consecutive quality starts.  Back in July, while still in a Chicago Cubs uniform, Garza squared off against the A’s and was able to hold them to one run over eight innings.

The A’s will be sending Jarrod Parker to the mound, who is 6-6 with an overall ERA of 4.07.  In his last outing, Parker had a very tough day against the Angels.  He walked a career-high seven batters over five innings.  He allowed four runs in the first inning alone.

The A’s are the slight favorites over at Bovada with a moneyline at -108 compared to the Rangers -102 moneyline.  The game starts at 4:05 p.m. ET.