Texas @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 13, 2016 ) Texas 5, Oakland 14

The Oakland Athletics were very happy to return home from a disastrous road trip and look to continue to take advantage of their surroundings when they continue their four-game series against the visiting Texas Rangers on Tuesday. Oakland dropped the first seven games of its trek to run its road losing streak to nine before salvaging the finale at Cincinnati on Sunday, and it picked up right where it left off at the Oakland Coliseum by posting a 14-5 victory over Texas.

Khris Davis homered and drove in five runs while posting one of seven multi-hit performances for the Athletics, who have won seven in a row at home. The Rangers dropped to 2-2 on their 10-game road trip as they allowed five runs in the first three innings after surrendering the same amount while winning back-to-back contests in Seattle over the weekend. Shin-Soo Choo returned from a stint on the disabled list with a strained hamstring and belted a solo homer, but Adrian Beltre missed his fifth straight game with an identical injury and may not return to the lineup until the series finale. "My decision is to be patient and target Thursday," Rangers manager Jeff Banister told the team's website. "He feels good. I just feel like, where we are at and how we're playing, (we should) maintain the thought process of slow-playing it."

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Martin Perez (5-4, 3.22 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Eric Surkamp (0-3, 6.41)

Perez has been perfect since losing at Oakland on May 18, winning four consecutive starts — all at home. The 25-year-old Venezuelan worked six innings in each outing, allowing a total of seven runs while serving up only two home runs. Perez hopes to for a better outcome than his last turn against the Athletics — an outing in which he yielded four runs and eight hits over a season-high seven frames.

Surkamp, who will be recalled from Triple-A Nashville, remains in search of his first victory since 2014 with the Chicago White Sox as he makes his seventh start of the season. The 28-year-old native of Cincinnati did not factor in the decision against Minnesota on May 31, when he yielded three runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Surkamp made his only career appearance versus Texas on Aug. 5, 2014, allowing one run on two hits and a walk in one inning of relief for Chicago.

WALK-OFFS

1. Athletics LHP Sean Manaea exited Monday's contest in the fifth inning with a strained left forearm, falling two outs shy of registering the victory.

2. Texas placed RHP Yu Darvish on the 15-day disabled list Monday with tightness and discomfort in his right shoulder while recalling LHP Alex Claudio from Triple-A Round Rock.

3. Oakland OF Josh Reddick took a step toward returning from a fractured thumb as he took 25 swings off a tee Monday, and he could take on-field batting practice by the end of the week.

PREDICTION: Rangers 6, Athletics 3