Texas Rangers vs Oakland Athletics Picks and Predictions August 30th 2024

JP Sears is starting for the Athletics on Friday, as they are facing the Rangers and Jon Gray. This one is getting started at 8:05 PM ET from Globe Life Field in Arlington. The Athletics are +128 on the money line, and the over/under line is at 8.5 runs.

The Rangers are favored at -151 and will be looking to extend their three-game winning streak. They are 3rd in the AL West, while the Athletics are 4th with a record of 58-76.

Oakland vs. Texas Key Information

Left-hander JP Sears gets the start for the Athletics today as he faces the Rangers on the road. Sears has made 26 starts this season and has a record of 10-9 with a 4.36 ERA. Coming into the game, he has a WHIP of 1.22 and has turned in 10 quality starts. Sears’ ERA at home is 8.14 compared to 4.25 on the road. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won three straight starts. Sears’ ERA for the month of August is 4.08.

Over his last nine games, Lawrence Butler has been on a tear for the Athletics, going 13/36 with six home runs and 11 RBIs. He also has 10 runs scored during this stretch. Butler’s hot streak has helped him move into the team lead in home runs. Brent Rooker is also a big power threat in the lineup, as he is 6th in the league with 31 homers and is 8th in the league with 88 RBIs.

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As a team, the Athletics are 6th in home runs but are just 25th in runs scored, averaging 4.1 runs per game. Their team batting average is just .233, which is 20th in the league. Oakland’s team on-base percentage and slugging percentage are also below the league average.

Through 18 starts, Jon Gray has a record of 5-5 and an ERA of 4.32. He has made seven quality starts this year and is coming off a rough outing vs. the Guardians, where he gave up seven earned runs in just two innings of work. In that outing, he gave up two homers. Before that outing, Gray had pitched well, giving up just one earned run in 7 2/3 innings of work vs. the White Sox. Gray’s ERA at home is 4.35, and he has a record of 4-2 at home compared to 1-3 on the road with a 7.05 ERA.

As a team, the Rangers are averaging just 4.2 runs per game, which is 23rd in the league. They have been even worse at home, averaging only 4 runs per contest. Texas is also near the bottom of the league in terms of on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. One positive for the Rangers is that they have the 8th fewest strikeouts in the league.

Corey Seager has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 13/37 in his last nine games with four homers and 10 RBIs. For the season, he is batting .277, and his 30 homers are 7th in the MLB. Seager’s 74 RBIs is the best mark on the team. Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia are also near the top of the Rangers’ home run leaderboard, but Garcia is batting just .222 for the season.

Today’s Athletics vs. Rangers matchup should feature plenty of offense, as this is projected to be the 11th highest-scoring game of today’s league slate. Our lean would be to the over, and for a money line pick, we would be leaning toward the Athletics to come out on top. Looking at today’s starters, we have Jon Gray as the 3rd best strikeout option in today’s games compared to JP Sears for the Athletics, who is 20th.

A’s Hope Lawrence Butler Stays Hot Against Rangers

The Oakland Athletics are set to begin a three-game series against the Texas Rangers on Friday in Arlington, Texas, with the hope that their emerging star, Lawrence Butler, continues his recent power surge. The A’s, a team in the midst of a rebuild, have found a bright spot in Butler, whose performance has been a significant boost to their lineup.

Lawrence Butler’s Power Surge

Lawrence Butler, Oakland’s right fielder, has been showcasing his power at the plate, delivering much-needed offense for the struggling Athletics. On Thursday, Butler recorded his second three-homer game of the season, although the A’s ultimately fell short in a 10-9 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

“Lawrence is obviously a pretty special kid,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said. “He’s very talented, and he showed that (Thursday) with the power, which is a true tool that he has. It’s nice to watch him continue to grow.”

At 24 years old, Butler has hit 19 home runs this season, five of which came during the recent three-game series against the Reds. His breakout performances have provided a spark for the Athletics, who are seeking to build momentum as they continue their six-game road trip.

Support from JJ Bleday

In addition to Butler’s heroics, the A’s received a significant contribution from center fielder JJ Bleday in the series finale against Cincinnati. Bleday went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate, including a home run, two doubles, and three runs scored. His performance underscored the potential within Oakland’s young lineup, which is beginning to show signs of development despite the team’s overall struggles.

Rangers Riding High

The Athletics will face a Rangers team that has been playing well recently, winning three straight games and five of their last seven. Texas is coming off a series sweep of the Chicago White Sox, capped by a 2-1 victory on Thursday. In that game, Rangers shortstop Corey Seager hit his 200th career home run, continuing a red-hot August in which he has blasted 11 homers. Seager has been a force in the Rangers’ lineup, contributing 30 home runs on the season and hitting .500 (7-for-14) with a home run and three RBIs in the series against the White Sox.

“We’re talking about one of the best hitters in the game,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said of Seager. “We’re talking about a very gifted player who can do some amazing things with the bat, especially on the slugging side, even the hitting side. He’s got a lot more in there, too. Trust me.”

Another key player for the Rangers has been rookie left fielder Wyatt Langford, who has been making his mark in recent games. Langford is hitting .289 with two home runs and 10 RBIs over his last 13 games, providing the Rangers with another dangerous bat in their lineup.

Pitching Matchup: Gray vs. Sears

Friday’s series opener will feature a pitching duel between Texas right-hander Jon Gray and Oakland left-hander JP Sears. Gray, with a 5-5 record and a 4.32 ERA, struggled in his last start against the Cleveland Guardians, allowing seven runs on seven hits over just two-plus innings in a 13-5 loss. Despite those numbers, Gray felt positive about his early performance in the game.

“I felt good the first few innings,” Gray said. “I think I lost a little gas in the last couple of hitters. First few innings look horrible if you look at the results, but a lot of the swings were uncomfortable, but they really found a lot of holes.”

Gray has a mixed history against the A’s, with a 2-2 record and a 4.21 ERA in seven career starts against them. Earlier this season, he took a tough-luck loss to Oakland, allowing just one run while striking out nine over five innings.

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The Athletics will counter with JP Sears, who enters the game with a 10-9 record and a 4.35 ERA. Sears had a rough outing in his last start against the Milwaukee Brewers, where he allowed seven runs (five earned) over 3 2/3 innings in an 11-3 loss. This performance came after a stretch in which Sears was red-hot, going 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his previous four starts.

“You make mistakes up in the zone against a good hitting team, they’re going to take advantage of it, which they did,” Kotsay said of Sears’ last outing. “I think JP’s (velocity) might have been down a tick and could have had some impact on the performance as well.”

Sears will need to be cautious against Texas, particularly with Marcus Semien, who has had success against him, going 6-for-19 with two home runs in previous matchups.

Series Outlook

As the Athletics and Rangers prepare to face off, both teams will be looking to capitalize on their recent performances. For Oakland, continuing the development of young players like Lawrence Butler and JJ Bleday will be key as they seek to build a foundation for the future. The Rangers, on the other hand, will aim to maintain their winning momentum and continue their strong play as they push toward the postseason. The outcome of this series could set the tone for both teams as they head into the final stretch of the season.