Game Thread #147: Oakland Athletics at Texas Rangers

Happy Friday, and welcome to the road to October! This weekend's three-game series offers a chance for our 2013 Oakland Athletics to further secure their place as the back-to-back American League West Champions and go to the playoffs! Standing in their way is the Texas Rangers, who need this series to stave off the A's, so make no mistake; they will be playing to win in front of their home crowd. This opening game is huge for the A's; take this one, and you win the series with just another win during the weekend. This is the last chance the A's will have to face the Rangers, so they need to make every pitch, every play, every at-bat count.

The A's will be sending Dan Straily to the mound tonight, in search of his fourth win in a row, and his 10th on the season. He will be opposed by the Rangers' Derek Holland. The A's are putting up an all-right-handed lineup against Holland tonight; Freiman, Suzuki, Norris, Callaspo and Young are all starting.

Can you stand it? Haven't we been waiting all year for this showdown? Hopefully, it's the Best. Friday. Night. Ever. LET'S GO OAK-LAND!

Here are your lineups:

LET'S GO OAK-LAND!