A’s vs. Rangers game thread

Best of three in Texas

Good afternoon and happy Friday AN!

After taking 2/3 these last few days in Cincinnati, the A’s six-game road trip carries on as they’ll now head to Arlington to take on the division-rival Texas Rangers for a best of three.

The A’s enter tonight 3-4 against the Rangers this season with one of those wins coming in shutout fashion on April 11 when JP Sears flirted with a no-no en route to a one-hit performance. Today, Sears gets another chance against the Rangers while also looking to bounce back from a rough last outing against the Milwaukee Brewers a week ago today.

Below is the lineup behind Sears tonight highlighted by yesterdays home run king, Lawrence Butler.

Ironically enough, it’ll be a pitching rematch from April 11 as Jon Gray takes the ball for Bruce Bochy and the Rangers. Like Sears, Gray was shelled his last outing in Cleveland where he allowed seven hits and seven runs without escaping the second inning. It’s been a season of highs and lows for Gray, the former third overall pick and top prospect back in the 2010s.

Here’s the lineup that’ll be behind Gray as written by Bochy:

Here we go A’s!