Texas @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 26, 2018 ) Oakland 7, Texas 6

The Oakland Athletics were unable to take over first place in the American League West but get a chance to rebound against a team they dominated in a recent encounter when they open a three-game series with the visiting Texas Rangers on Monday. The Athletics outscored the Rangers 41-24 in winning four straight in Texas less than a month ago, part of a 40-13 run that vaulted Oakland into a first-place tie with the Houston Astros going into Sunday.

A 9-4 loss to the Astros put a temporary halt to the surge, as Houston produced the highest scoring total in a nine-inning affair against the Athletics since July 6. Khris Davis had two home runs and three RBIs in the loss for Oakland and the slugger owns seven long balls and 20 RBIs in 13 matchups with Texas this year. The Rangers completed a 4-2 homestand with a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. Shin-Soo Choo had three hits and scored twice, and he is 6-for-16 with a pair of doubles in his career against Mike Fiers, who starts the series opener for the Athletics.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), NBCS California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Bartolo Colon (7-10, 5.19 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Mike Fiers (8-6, 3.38)

Colon was scratched from Sunday's start due to back stiffness and manager Jeff Bannister indicated he would wait until the team arrived in Oakland before determining if the veteran right-hander would be able to go Monday. If and when Colon starts he will be vying for his third straight win, although he's allowed seven runs over 12 innings in the back-to-back victories. The 45-year-old gave up six runs over seven innings in a loss to Oakland at home last month and is 17-10 with a 2.93 ERA in his career at Oakland Coliseum.

Fiers is 1-0 with a 2.38 ERA in two starts since being traded from Detroit earlier this month. He faced the Rangers twice while with the Tigers, combining to go 2-0 while allowing three runs in 11 1/3 innings. Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre are a combined 14-for-39 with three home runs against the 33-year-old Fiers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rangers 2B Rougned Odor drove in all four of his team's runs Sunday and is 8-for-20 during a five-game hitting streak.

2. Davis was 7-for-21 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in the four-game sweep at Texas last month.

3. Rangers RHP Jose Leclerc has 10 scoreless innings and five saves over his last 10 appearances.

PREDICTION: Athletics 7, Rangers 4