Game #140: A’s at Rangers Game Thread

The A’s are back at it with one final chance to snag a win in Texas after dropping the first two games of this series. They’ve lost five in a row so we’re due for a win any day now.

It’ll be Jacob Lopez getting the start this afternoon. The lefty has completely turned things around in recent weeks as he’s looked like a totally different pitcher than the guy we saw all year. Over his past seven starts he has a miniscule 2.06 ERA. That’s putting him back in the conversation for next year’s rotation but he’ll have to keep it up through the rest of the year.

Here’s the Athletics’ starting lineup for this one:

The A’s welcome back outfielder Denzel Clarke today as he returns from his extended stint on the IL. The defensive whizz is back in his usual center field spot, pushing Henry Bolte to right field and Lawrence Butler to the DH spot. It’ll be interesting to see how the team uses Bolte and Clarke over the next month.

No Tommy White today after he departed last night’s game with a lower back injury. Don’t expect to see him back for the next couple of days. Journeyman Michael Stefanic will handle the hot corner today. Jonah Heim gets a rare start at first base while Brian Serven catches Lopez. And our middle infield duo is Jeff McNeil and Alika Williams.

As for Texas, they have their own lefty in Cody Bradford getting the start today. Considering he’s missed the majority of the past two seasons Bradford has been solid for the Rangers through five starts. One of those came recently against the A’s, when he tossed four innings and allowed two runs but also got a bit lucky with that low total after allowing eight hits. The A’s will try to push across those baserunners better in this contest.

And the Rangers’ starting nine:

Time to snap this five-game losing streak. Avoid the sweep! Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics -Talk 650 KSTE, A’s Cast