This is the first series of the year between these two AL West rivals. These two went back and forth a season ago with the Rangers finally getting the edge, winning 10 of the 19 meetings. These teams will meet for Game 2 of three on Tuesday.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
After dropping five straight, the A’s snapped their losing streak over the weekend, taking two of three from the Rays on the road.
Oakland returns to the Coliseum for this series with Texas. Typically, playing at home is an edge, but right now, the A’s are just 5-11 at home and 11-11 on the road. Texas, meanwhile, hasn’t played poorly away from home, going 8-9 overall.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Rangers’ ace Cole Hamels gets the nod on Tuesday. Through his first seven starts of the year, he’s still undefeated at 4-0 and has pitched well for the Rangers with a 2.95 ERA.
Those numbers, however, may be a bit misleading. The veteran lefty has a much higher FIP at 4.28 and his WHIP is 1.266 up for a career mark of 1.149. His BABIP is in line with his career numbers, but he’s walking 3.6 batters per nine innings, that’s up from his 2.3 career number.
Despite the extra free passes, Hamels has only allowed more than three runs in a game once this season and has had success in both of his career starts against Oakland, going 14 innings, giving up just two earned runs and 12 hits, though he did walk five.
In a battle of southpaws, the A’s will send Eric Surkamp to the mound against the Rangers.
Surkamp has evolved into a journeyman at 28-years old. He made his major league debut in 2011 with the Giants and has seen time in the Show with the White Sox, and Dodgers before joining the A’s this year. He’s struggled to find his way with a career 6.49 ERA and he’s been in line with that so far with Oakland.
Overall, the A’s rotation has struggled outside of Rich Hill and Surkamp is no exception. He’s made five starts and is 0-3 with a 6.55 ERA and 1.955 WHIP. He’s walked 14 batters and given up four home runs in 22 innings.
In his five starts, Surkamp has only pitched five innings once. His last start was on May 11 and he lasted just two and two-thirds, giving up four runs.
LIVE BETTING
Hamels versus Surkamp is about as lopsided a matchup as they come, but if Surkamp is able to keep Oakland in the game late, it may be worth backing the A’s against the Rangers’ pen.
The Rangers’ relievers have a 5.16 ERA, better only than the Reds. The team’s pen has also been responsible for 10 losses, putting them on a level with a Braves team that’s yet to reach double digits in wins.
By comparison, Oakland’s below average pen has looked dominant. They’re allowing a run less per nine innings and have only been credited with three losses.
QUICK PICK
The Rangers are the better team based on record. They’ve got the superior offense, outscoring Oakland by more than 30 runs to this point. They also boast a massive edge in the starting rotation.
While the Texas bullpen has been a huge issue to this point in the MLB season, the rest of the equation leans heavily in Texas’s favor. Look for the Rangers to jump out to an early lead against Surkamp with Hamels going deep enough in the game to minimize the effects of a questionable pen.
MLB Odds: Rangers 8, Athletics 4
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