Series Preview: Texas Rangers @ Oakland Athletics

A lot of attention is on the draft tonight, but that won’t affect anything in Major League Baseball until next year at the earliest. All the latest on the Rangers three selections will be here tonight. However, the Rangers get set for a four game series against the Oakland Athletics in a big series that will be a good opportunity for Texas to get back on the winning track.

Series at a Glance

Texas Record: 32-22 (1st AL West)
Oakland Record: 23-31 (T-3rd AL West, 9 GB)

Season Series: 1-1
Record at Oakland: 0-0

Notable Transaction: January 14, 2002: The Oakland Athletics traded Jason Hart, Gerald Laird, Ryan Ludwick and Mario Ramos to the Texas Rangers for Carlos Pena and Mike Venafro.

Probable Starters:

Monday 9:05 CDT TEX: RHP Scott Feldman (0-3, 4.50 ERA/5.22 FIP) – OAK: RHP Jarrod Parker (1-2, 2.88 ERA/3.53 FIP)

Tuesday 9:05 CDT TEX: LHP Derek Holland (4-4, 5.11 ERA/4.13 FIP) – OAK: LHP Travis Blackley (0-0, 0.82 ERA/3.19 FIP)

Wednesday 9:05 CDT TEX: RHP Colby Lewis (4-4, 3.50 ERA/4.38 FIP) – OAK: RHP Bartolo Colon (4-6, 4.34 ERA/4.09 FIP)

Thursday 2:35 CDT TEX: RHP Yu Darvish (7-3, 3.34 ERA/3.68 FIP) – OAK: RHP Brandon McCarthy (4-3, 2.95 ERA/3.65 FIP)

Projected Athletics Lineup

1 2B Jemile Weeks (S)
2 DH Seth Smith (L) vs RHP
3 RF Josh Reddick (S)
4 LF Yoenis Cespedes
5 1B Kila Ka’aihue (L)
6 3B Brandon Inge
7 CF Coco Crisp (S)
8 C Kurt Suzuki
9 SS Cliff Pennington (S)

Bench
C/3B Josh Donaldson
IF Adam Rosales
OF Collin Cowgill
OF Jonny Gomes DH vs LHP

Bullpen
CL LHP Brian Fuentes
SU RHP Grant Balfour
SU RHP Ryan Cook
MID LHP Jerry Blevins
MID RHP Jim Miller
MID LHP Sean Doolittle
LR RHP Andrew Carignan

(source MLBDepthCharts)

For more information on the Athletics see FanSided’s Athletics page, Swingin’ A’s.