Athletics at Rangers
The Texas Rangers attempt to win their first series of the season when they host the Oakland Athletics in the finale of their three-game set on Sunday. Texas entered the matchup 0-5-2 over its first seven series of the year, including a three-game sweep at the hands of Seattle earlier in the week.
After dropping the opener to Oakland, the Rangers were headed for a fifth straight defeat before rallying for an 8-7 victory in 10 innings on Saturday. The Athletics scored six in the top of the seventh to erase a 3-1 deficit, but Kyle Blanks' RBI base hit in the bottom half drew Texas within 7-4 and Shin-Soo Choo belted a three-run homer later in the frame to tie it before scoring on Rougned Odor's bases-loaded single in the 10th. Blanks fell a triple shy of the cycle and drove in three runs while Josh Reddick went 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs for Oakland, which has lost seven of its last nine contests. The Athletics are seeking their second series win of the campaign and first since taking two of three at Houston from April 13-15.
TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), FSN Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Sonny Gray (3-0, 1.98 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Yovani Gallardo (2-3, 4.05)
Gray has been superb this season, allowing two runs or fewer in four of his five outings. The 25-year-old worked eight innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, yielding two runs and six hits with six strikeouts. Gray improved to 5-2 with a 1.74 ERA lifetime versus Texas in the season opener, limiting the Rangers to one hit over eight scoreless frames.
Gallardo is coming off his second consecutive loss, a six-inning outing against Seattle on Monday in which he gave up three runs and three hits. The 29-year-old Mexican has pitched well over his last four starts, allowing three earned runs or fewer each time while going 2-2. Gallardo's worst outing of the year was his first, a loss to Gray and the Athletics on April 6 in which he surrendered four runs in four frames to fall to 0-2 with a 8.10 ERA lifetime versus Oakland.
WALK-OFFS
1. Reddick is batting 17-for-34 with two home runs and 13 RBIs during his 10-game hitting streak.
2. Blanks is 5-for-12 with two homers and four RBIs in three games since coming up from Triple-A Round Rock.
3. Oakland relievers have allowed two or more runs in 11 of the team's last 16 contests.