The Texas Rangers welcome in the Oakland Athletics today in Major League Baseball action. The game is scheduled for a 2:05 p.m. start time and it will be televised live on MLB.tv. Currently the odds for the game have the Athletics favored to pick up the win in this one on the road.
Oakland will send Sonny Gray to the mound in this afternoon matchup with the Rangers. Gray has been lights out all season, sporting a record of 8-3 with a 1.95 ERA in his 15 starts.
Gray has been even more impressive in his starts away from home. The youngster has compiled a 1.58 ERA in better than 51 innings while posting a 5-1 record. He's allowed only one home run in road starts while striking out 55 hitters compared to just 16 walks. Opponents are hitting just a .205 average against Gray in their own parks this season.
In his lone start against Texas this year Gray threw 6 2/3 innings, allowing two hits while striking out 10 to earn the win. Current Rangers own a .184 average against Gray in 196 plate appearances.
Texas will be sending Colby Lewis to the mound this afternoon, he's 7-3 with a 4.08 ERA this season. His last two starts have both been very good: Lewis allowed three earned runs over seven innings in a win over Minnesota then followed that up with an eight-inning, one run game where the Rangers beat the White Sox 2-1.
Current Athletics own an average of just .227 against Lewis in 119 plate appearances. Billy Butler has homered once, the only one current A's have against Lewis.
As well as Lewis has pitched recently, Gray has just been too tough on the road.
Free Pick: Athletics
Stop the All-Star Game Ballot Stuffing
Pro handicappers Teddy Covers and Steve Fezzik have a bone to pick with MLB Commisioner Bud Selig, who decided the All-Star exhibition game will determine World Series home field advantage. With Royals fans currently voting seven Kansas City players into the starting line up of the American League team, this popularity-based roster of an exhibition game which has way too much impact on the most important baseball series of the year.
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