Oakland @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 17, 2016 ) Oakland 11, Texas 2

Although they are marching toward an almost-certain American League West crown, the Texas Rangers will need better pitching from the front end of the rotation to be successful in October. Following another rocky outing by one of their top starters, the Rangers turn to veteran Colby Lewis in the rubber game of a three-game series with the visiting Oakland Athletics on Sunday.

Star left-hander Cole Hamels allowed six runs in six innings in the opener of the series and has a 10.50 ERA in his last four outings, while fellow standout Yu Darvish was knocked around in the second game of the set. Darvish was pounded for seven runs over five frames of Saturday's 11-2 loss, which left him with a 7.47 ERA in September and the Rangers with a 9 1/2-game lead in the division. Lewis is making his second start since returning from a lengthy stay on the disabled list and will be taking on an Oakland lineup that is suddenly putting up some impressive numbers. The A's are averaging 10 runs during a 5-1 stretch - all on the road - after they averaged just 2.7 runs over their previous 15 contests.

TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), FSN Southwest (Texas)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Ross Detwiler (1-3, 5.31 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Colby Lewis (6-2, 3.31)

Since a sparkling performance in which he threw eight scoreless innings in his Oakland debut last month, Detwiler has gone 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in six games (five starts). The first of those outings came at Texas on Aug. 15, when the former first-round pick was hammered for five runs on seven hits and four walks across 4 2/3 innings. Carlos Beltran is 5-for-11 with a home run against Detwiler, while Adrian Beltre has a grand slam and two walks in three plate appearances.

In his return from the disabled list last Sunday, Lewis allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings en route to a loss against the Los Angeles Angels. His lone complete game this season came at Oakland on June 16, when he let up just two hits in a 5-1 victory. The 37-year-old is 12-4 with a 2.80 ERA in his career against Oakland and has dominated both Marcus Semien (0-for-13, four strikeouts) and Stephen Vogt (1-for-20).

WALK-OFFS

1. Athletics LF Khris Davis is batting .360 with three homers and 10 RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak.

2. Texas has hit a home run in a season-high 18 straight games.

3. Rangers LF Carlos Gomez has homered in consecutive days and has six in 22 games since joining the team in a trade with Houston last month.

PREDICTION: Rangers 7, Athletics 6