Texas @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 22, 2018 ) Texas 4, Oakland 2

The Oakland Athletics continue to march toward their first playoff appearance in four years when they complete a 10-game homestand by hosting the Texas Rangers in a three-game set beginning Friday. Oakland (84-57) took two of three from the New York Yankees, including Wednesday's 8-2 rout, and sits 3 1/2 games behind Houston in the American League West, 5 1/2 ahead of Seattle for the second and final wild-card spot and 3 1/2 back of New York for home field in the wild-card game.

"We take every game right now as a playoff game,'' Athletics right-hander Mike Fiers told reporters Wednesday after Oakland completed a stretch in which they played 20 straight days. "We're a couple games back from a couple teams. Every game matters. Every pitch matters. But we're not locking up in these situations. The boys are playing ball, making it tough on those other teams." Oakland has an opportunity to better its standing with 12 of its next 15 games versus sub-.500 competition with nine of those contests at home while improving on its 10-6 season series lead over Texas. The Rangers (61-79) are coming off a 9-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday to complete a 3-5 homestand. The Athletics will recall Chris Bassitt from Triple-A Nashville to make a spot start and he will oppose Yovani Gallardo, who snapped a three-start winless streak (0-2) in his last outing.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, FS Southwest, NBCS California

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Yovani Gallardo (8-3, 5.97 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Chris Bassitt (2-3, 3.19)

Gallardo allowed three runs, six hits and a walk while striking out one in five innings of a 7-4 victory over Minnesota on Saturday. The 32-year-old Mexican is 5-2 with a 4.07 ERA over his last eight starts, going 1-1, 2.61 in two road outings during that span and improving to 3-2, 7.24 in seven games (five starts) away from home this season. Khris Davis is 3-for-10 with three solo home runs versus Gallardo, who is 2-5 with a 4.47 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) versus the Athletics - 1-2, 3.58 in five turns at Oakland Coliseum.

Bassitt received a no-decision after yielding one run, four hits and three walks while striking out three over 4 2/3 innings of his last major-league appearance -Oakland's 6-2 victory at Minnesota on Aug. 26. The 29-year-old Ohio native was 5-5 with a 4.30 ERA in 18 games (14 starts) with Nashville this season. Bassitt is 0-1 with an 11.25 ERA in two games (one start) versus Texas - both in 2015.

WALK-OFFS

1. Davis (.248, 106 RBIs), who leads the majors with 40 home runs, has gone deep only once in his last 13 games.

2. Texas 3B Adrian Beltre (.275, 10 home runs, 51 RBIs) has homered in three of his last five games and owns 472 for his career, one behind Carlos Delgado for 32nd all-time. Beltre also has 3,149 career hits and is six shy of passing George Brett for 15th.

3. Oakland RF Stephen Piscotty (.265, 22 home runs, 71 RBIs) is 11-for-29 during an eight-game hitting streak after delivering a two-run single Wednesday.

PREDICTION: Athletics 3, Rangers 2