Texas @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Aug 7, 2010 ) Texas 2, Oakland 6
In his second season in the big leagues, Trevor Cahill has emerged as a front-line starter. He has been a key piece in keeping the Oakland Athletics hovering around the .500 line and having a slim chance to make a run at the division title.
Cahill will make his 20th start of the season on Sunday afternoon, facing the Texas Rangers in the finale of a three-game series. The Rangers will counter with right-hander Colby Lewis.
Cahill (11-4) is coming off one of his best starts in his young career, tossing his first complete-game shutout on Monday. He went the distance in a 6-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals, allowing only three hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
That followed an equally impressive start against the Rangers on July 28, when he threw eight scoreless innings in leading the A’s to a 3-1 victory.
Cahill, coincidentally, has experienced his most success against the Rangers. In seven lifetime starts, he is 5-1 with a 1.83 ERA. That is the most wins he has against any opponent.
And, more importantly, Cahill is 3-1 with a 1.67 ERA over his last five starts.
Offensively, the A’s are coming off a solid outing on Saturday. Coco Crisp was the star of Oakland’s 6-2 victory, driving in three runs and launching a solo home run in the second inning.
Mark Ellis added a sacrifice fly and Matt Watson had an RBI double for the A’s.
Texas, meanwhile, will be looking for Lewis to keep it in the game.
Lewis (9-8) has lost three consecutive starts, although the offense is partly to blame. The Rangers scored only one or two runs in those starts, as Lewis posted a 3.60 ERA.
Regardless, Lewis is still 5-4 with a 3.27 ERA in his last 10 starts. Against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, Lewis took the loss despite going six innings, allowing three runs on nine hits with a walk and nine strikeouts.
Lewis is 0-2 with a 3.15 ERA in three starts vs. Oakland this season. Lifetime against the A’s, Lewis is 2-2 with a 3.27 ERA in nine games, including seven starts.
Offensively, the Rangers struggled on Saturday. They didn’t score until the eighth inning, when Taylor Teagarden belted a solo home run. David Murphy added an RBI single in the ninth.
It was Teagarden’s second straight game with a home run.