Oakland @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 27, 2010 ) Oakland 1, Texas 3

Colby Lewis can only hope the Texas Rangers' offense gives him more support than the guy who pitched before him.

Lewis looks for his 10th win of the season as the Rangers and Oakland Athletics continue their three-game series. The Athletics counter with right-hander Trevor Cahill.

Newly acquired Rangers ace Cliff Lee struck out a career-high 13 batters against the Athletics on Tuesday night, allowing one unearned run and five hits over nine innings. Yet somehow, Lee ended the night with a no-decision.

Instead, Texas closer Neftali Feliz got the victory after Nelson Cruz gave the Rangers a walk-off victory with a two-run blast in the 10th inning. The victory increased the Rangers' lead in the American League West lead to a whopping 8 1/2 games over the A’s and Los Angeles Angels.

Lewis has been one of the most consistent starters in the Rangers rotation. In his last start against the Tigers on July 21, Lewis went seven innings, allowing four runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts in a 4-1 loss.

Lewis has won five of his last seven decisions, going 5-2 with a 3.40 ERA in his past eight starts. He has held opponents to a .216 average and has 117 strikeouts.

Lifetime against Oakland, Lewis is 2-1 with a 3.65 ERA in eight games, including six starts. He has two quality starts against the A’s this season, although he didn’t win either game.

Lewis actually spent the 2007 season with the A’s organization, going 0-2 with a 6.45 ERA in 26 games, including one start, at the big league level. Following the season, Lewis opted to go overseas to Japan for two seasons and then signed with the Rangers, who drafted him in 1999, this off-season.

Offensively, Cruz was the star of Tuesday’s victory with his 10th inning home run. Vladimir Guerrero also had an RBI double in the first inning.

Cahill, meanwhile, has blossomed into a solid starter in his second season with Oakland. He has gone at least six innings in his past seven starts, and had a stretch of seven victories and no losses over nine starts from May 21-July 1.

In his last start, Cahill couldn’t match White Sox counterpart Mark Buehrle. He took the loss after going seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits with two walks and no strikeouts.

Cahill has faced Texas twice this season, in back-to-back starts on May 5 and May 11. After winning the May 5 game, Cahill took a no-decision on May 11, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with two walks and a strikeout.

Offensively, the A’s scored their lone run Tuesday on Kurt Suzuki’s RBI single in the sixth. Jack Cust was ejected for arguing a called third strike in the seventh inning.