The Texas Rangers wrapped up their series with the Houston Astros tied 2-2 last night. The Battle for the Silver Boot will continue later this week, but first, the Oakland Athletics have come to Arlington for a three-game series. Heading into the series, the Texas Rangers are tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the top of the American League West with a record of 6-4. The Oakland Athletics enter this series at the bottom of the division with a record of 3-7.
Texas Rangers (6-4) vs. Oakland Athletics (3-7)
Game 1:
Date: Tuesday, April 9th
Time: 7:05 pm CDT
Broadcast: MLB.TV, NSCA, BSSW, 105.3 The Fan
Game 2:
Date: Wednesday, April 10th
Time: 7:05 pm CDT
Broadcast: MLB Network, NSCA, BSSW, 105.3 The Fan
Game 3:
Date: Thursday, April 11th
Time: 1:35 pm CDT
Broadcast: MLB Network, NSCA, BSSW, 105.3 The Fan
Probable Starting Pitchers
Game 1: Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 1.38 ERA) vs. Alex Wood (0-1, 9.72 ERA)
Nathan Eovaldi made his 2024 debut on Opening Day against the Chicago Cubs, where he pitched six innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs, and a walk. His second start came on the road against Tampa Bay on April 3rd. He pitched seven rock-solid innings, allowing only four hits and one walk. In his two-year career with the Rangers, he has pitched in 27 games for a total of 157 innings, allowing 125 hits, 61 runs, 60 earned runs, 15 home runs, 49 walks, and striking out 143 batters. In 2023, he pitched two complete games, one of which was a 3-hit shutout.
Alex Wood also made his 2024 debut on Opening Day against the Cleveland Guardians, going 3.1 innings, giving up seven hits, six earned runs, one walk, and striking out three. He fared better in his second start on April 2nd against the Boston Red Sox. He pitched five innings, allowing six hits, three earned runs, two walks, and striking out seven. The 2024 season is his first year in an Oakland Athletics uniform.
Game 2: Cody Bradford (2-0, 2.13 ERA) vs. Ross Stripling (0-2, 3.75 ERA)
Cody Bradford has been lights out this season. He has pitched in two games thus far, his first being March 30th against the Chicago Cubs, where he went five innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs, and one walk while striking out six. His second start against the Houston Astros on April 5th was another stellar start. He pitched 7.2 innings, allowed two hits, one earned run, and struck out four. In his two-year career with the Rangers, he has made 22 appearances for 68.2 innings pitched, with ten starts, allowing 61 hits, 36 earned runs, 12 home runs, 13 walks, and 61 strikeouts.
Ross Stripling made his season debut on March 29th against the Cleveland Guardians. He pitched five innings, allowing seven hits, four earned runs, two walks, and striking out six. His second start came against the Boston Red Sox on April 3rd for seven innings, allowing eight hits, one earned run, and striking out three. This is Stripling’s first year in an Oakland Athletics uniform.
Game 3: Jon Gray (0-0, 6.14 ERA) vs. JP Sears (0-1, 8.68 ERA)
Jon Gray’s season debut came on March 31st against the Chicago Cubs. He pitched 3.2 innings, allowing seven hits, five earned runs, and three walks while striking out two. His second start of the season came against the Houston Astros on April 6th, going 3.2 innings and allowing five hits and three walks while striking out three. In his three-year career with the Rangers, Gray has made 55 appearances, all of which have been starts, allowing 156 hits, 143 runs 133 earned, 40 home runs, 99 walks, one intentional walk, and 281 strikeouts across 292 innings.
JP Sears made his 2024 debut on March 30th against the Cleveland Guardians, going 3.2 innings, allowing six hits, five earned runs, two walks, and one strikeout. His second start came against the Detroit Tigers on April 5th, going 5.2 innings while allowing six hits, four earned runs, one walk, and striking out only one. In his two-year career with the Oakland Athletics, he has pitched in 51 games, 45 of which were starts. He allowed 244 hits, 130 runs, 126 earned runs, 44 home runs, 79 walks, three intentional walks, and 214 strikeouts across 251.2 innings.
Texas Rangers vs Oakland Athletics Leaders
Rangers:
AVG – Corey Seager – .368
HR – Adolis Garcia – 4
RBI – Adolis Garcia – 11
IP – Dane Dunning – 13.0
ERA – Nathan Eovaldi – 1.38
K – Dane Dunning – 14
Athletics:
AVG – JJ Bleday – .282
HR – J.D. Davis – 2
RBI – JJ Bleday – 5
IP – Paul Blackburn – 13.0
ERA – Paul Blackburn – 0.00
K – Joe Boyle – 10
Texas Rangers vs Oakland Athletics Numbers
Rangers
AVG: .277 (3rd)
OPS: .789 (5th)
R: 58 (7th)
HR: 10 (T-13)
ERA: 3.40 (7th)
K: 82 (T-20th)
WHIP: 1.16 (7th)
Athletics
AVG: .212 (T-24th)
OPS: .632(24th)
R: 30 (28th)
HR: 8 (T-25th)
ERA: 4.25 (20th)
K: 78 (T-24)
WHIP: 1.42 (23rd)
Wrap Up
This middle-of-the-sandwich series will be a quiet reprieve for the Texas Rangers. They just hosted the Houston Astros in Arlington for a four-game series, and following this series, they head down to Houston to play a three-game series in Minute Maid Park. Though the Oakland Athletics are currently in the basement of the American League West, it doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t put up a fight. As the great Chuck Morgan says, “It’s Baseball Time in Texas!”. Let’s play some baseball!
