Texas @ Oakland preview

Texas at Oakland

Last Meeting ( May 4, 2010 ) Texas 6, Oakland 7

Perhaps the best early-season story for the Texas Rangers has been the emergence of starting pitcher Colby Lewis.

Lewis had just 12 major-league victories between 2002-07 before departing for Japan for two seasons. He has been a dramatically different pitcher in his return to the United States.

Lewis (3-0) has struck out 10 batters three times in five starts this season and will look to continue his stellar performances when the Rangers visit the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday afternoon in the finale of a three-game series.

The hurler pitched nine scoreless innings in his last start but was overshadowed by the publicity surrounding Cliff Lee’s debut for the Seattle Mariners. But Lewis outdid Lee’s seven scoreless innings by retiring the final 21 batters he faced in a game the Rangers eventually won in 12 innings.

Lewis has a 2.76 ERA and his 38 strikeouts in April were the second most in Texas history behind the legendary Nolan Ryan (49).

This is the second stint with the Rangers for the 30-year-old Lewis. He began his major-league career in 2002 with Texas and went 10-9 in 2003 despite a porous 7.30 ERA.

A shoulder injury in 2004 limited Lewis to three games and he underwent rotator cuff surgery. He surfaced for two games with Detroit in 2006 and pitched in 26 games for Oakland in 2007.

Lewis found success pitching over in Japan but craved a return to the majors and the Rangers signed him to a two-year contract in January. Lewis has combined with C.J. Wilson and Rich Harden as a solid trio that has played a major role in why Texas (14-13) leads the AL West by a half-game over the Athletics.

Oakland beat Texas in Monday’s first game of the series for just its second win in the last eight games. Ryan Sweeney had a career-high five RBIs and Andrew Bailey converted his 25th consecutive save opportunity. Bailey has four saves this season and hasn’t allowed a run this season in 9 2/3 innings.

Trevor Cahill will make his second start of the season for Oakland after missing the beginning of the season with a shoulder injury and then being optioned to the minors.

Cahill was hit hard in his first start, allowing eight runs – six earned – and seven hits in five innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. He also gave up three homers.

How he fares against the Rangers will be a good barometer of where the 22-year-old Cahill is both physically and mentally.

Cahill went 10-13 with a 4.63 ERA as a rookie last season but had major success against Texas. He was 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA in four starts against the Rangers, holding Texas to a .215 average. Overall, opposing hitters batted .270 against Cahill.

Michael Young was the lone Ranger who had found Cahill easy to hit. Young is 4-for-6 with two doubles, a homer and two RBIs against Cahill.

Vladimir Guerrero had a homer and five RBIs for Texas in Monday’s game. The homer was Guerrero’s first since April 23.