Game Thread #96: A’s vs. Rangers

The Oakland A’s open a weekend series against the Texas Rangers on Friday at the Coliseum.

On the mound for the home team is Cole Irvin, who’s having a nice July. He’s made three straight quality starts this month, all against contending opponents, totaling just four runs in 20 innings with sparkling numbers across the board (10 Ks, 1 BB, 0 HR, 12 hits). The A’s even managed to win two of those three games!

Irvin has faced the Rangers twice this year. Back in April he beat them with five shutout innings, allowing just one hit along the way. He saw them again in May and was good again, working into the 7th inning and limiting them to three runs (two earned), but he settled for a no-decision when Oakland’s bullpen blew the lead.

Texas calls on Spencer Howard for the start, just his fifth of the year and his seventh appearance overall. Two of those outings came against the A’s, though — in April he came out of the bullpen for a couple innings but allowed a homer to Stephen Piscotty (who’s not in tonight’s lineup), and then in July he made a start and held his own for five innings (two runs, one earned) including a homer by Sheldon Neuse.

A’s lineup (home)

1. 3B Vimael Machin (L)
2. RF Ramon Laureano (R)
3. C Sean Murphy (R)
4. 1B Seth Brown (L)
5. SS Elvis Andrus (R)
6. LF Chad Pinder (R)
7. CF Skye Bolt (S)
8. 2B Tony Kemp (L)
9. DH Sheldon Neuse (R)

• LHP Cole Irvin

Rangers lineup (away)

1. 2B Marcus Semien (R)
2. SS Corey Seager (L)
3. C Jonah Heim (S)
4. DH Adolis Garcia (R)
5. 1B Nathaniel Lowe (L)
6. CF Leody Taveras (S)
7. 3B Ezequiel Duran (R)
8. LF Charlie Culberson (R)
9. RF Elier Hernandez (R)

• RHP Spencer Howard

How to watch/listen

• Date: Friday, July 22
• Time: 6:40 p.m. PT
• TV: NBC Sports California
• Radio: 960 AM
• Streaming (listen): A’s Cast