Texas @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 24, 2016 ) Texas 12, Oakland 1

The Texas Rangers' running feud with the Toronto Blue Jays reached a boiling point over the weekend, and the aftermath figures to leave the American League West leaders short-handed sooner rather than later. Following their third straight series win, the Rangers hope to avoid a letdown as they begin a six-game road trip with the first of three against the Oakland Athletics on Monday.

Texas won two of three at home against Toronto, but Rougned Odor was ejected for punching Jose Bautista in the jaw after the Blue Jays slugger's slide into second base broke up a potential double play late in the game, inciting a benches-clearing melee that resulted in eight ejections. The Rangers are only 8-9 away from home thus far but stand a reasonably good chance at going over the .500 mark as a result of playing Oakland and Houston - the bottom two teams in the AL West - over the next six games. The Athletics are returning home after a 3-6 road trip but ended their trek on a high note by winning two of three at Tampa Bay. Danny Valencia put an exclamation point on Oakland's first series win of the month Sunday, homering a career-high three times in a 7-6 victory.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Southwest (Texas), CSN California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Derek Holland (3-2, 6.09 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Sean Manaea (0-1, 11.37)
Holland has been abysmal in his two turns this month but escaped with a no-decision after yielding five runs (four earned) and eight hits over a season-low 2 1/3 innings in Tuesday's 13-11 win over the Chicago White Sox. The Ohio native was pounded for a career-high 11 runs and as many hits in his previous outing at Toronto, which followed six scoreless frames in a win against the Los Angeles Angels to end April. Holland is 5-4 with a 3.26 ERA in 18 appearances (13 starts) versus the Athletics.
After turning in a pair of sub-par five-inning outings at home to begin his big-league career, Manaea was blasted for eight runs and 10 hits - including a pair of homers - in only 2 2/3 frames of a 13-5 loss in Boston on Tuesday. The 24-year-old, who was the centerpiece of the return Oakland received for Ben Zobrist last summer, has surrendered at least four runs in all three of his turns. Manaea is allowing a .382 batting average against heading into his first career start against the Rangers.

WALK-OFFS
1. The Rangers have won the last four meetings, including a three-game sweep from Sept. 22-24 in Oakland.
2. Valencia, who clubbed all five of his home runs this season against Tampa Bay over the weekend, is batting .405 during his 10-game hitting streak.
3. Oakland 3B Chris Coghlan delivered a pinch-hit home run Sunday, ending the team's 285-game streak without one.

PREDICTION: Rangers 8, Athletics 5