Padres at Rangers
Although their season-best winning streak fell by the wayside over the weekend, the Texas Rangers' stretch of three consecutive series victories remains intact. The Rangers should feel good about their chances of making it four in a row starting Monday, when they begin an eight-game homestand with the first of three interleague contests against the San Diego Padres.
Texas struggled to get anything going Sunday at Minnesota after a prolonged stretch of solid run production, managing only three hits in a 2-0 defeat that kept the club from recording only the fourth undefeated road trip of at least six games in club history. The Rangers averaged 6.9 runs during their surge - a span during which they sandwiched three-game series victories over Colorado and Minnesota around a three-game sweep of Kansas City. San Diego appeared to be on the verge of splitting a four-game set in San Francisco on Sunday as it took a one-run lead in the 11th inning, but reliable closer Brad Hand gave up two runs in the bottom half to send the club to its seventh loss in eight contests. The Padres have been unable to put together much offense during their slump, scoring 18 runs - including only 12 in their defeats.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, FS Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Joey Lucchesi (3-3, 3.86 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Cole Hamels (4-6, 3.41)
Lucchesi struggled mightily in his return from a month-plus stint on the disabled list on Wednesday, taking the loss against Oakland after surrendering four runs on three hits and two walks over 1 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old appeared ready after working four no-hit frames in a rehab start for Single-A Lake Elsinore six days earlier and posted a 3.23 ERA in his first nine major-league turns prior to landing on the DL. Right-handed hitters have accounted for all 10 of the homers Lucchesi has allowed as he faces Texas for the first time.
Hamels secured his first victory in nearly a month Tuesday in Kansas City, permitting one unearned run while striking out seven over as many innings. The four-time All-Star opened the campaign 1-3 with a 4.76 ERA over his first five turns, but he is 3-3 with a 2.81 ERA and has allowed opponents to bat .206 against him in his last 10 outings. Eric Hosmer is hitless in 13 at-bats versus Hamels, who is 9-2 with a 2.25 ERA in 17 career starts against San Diego - the last of which came in 2015.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rangers OF Shin-Soo Choo hit a leadoff double Sunday to extend his on-base streak to a career-high 37 games - three shy of the best such mark in the majors this season (Odubel Herrera, 40).
2. San Diego has yielded five runs or fewer in each of its last 14 road contests - the longest such streak in club history.
3. Texas 3B Adrian Beltre went 6-for-13 against Minnesota and needs one RBI to break a tie with Sammy Sosa (1,667) for 29th place on the all-time list.