The AL West-leading Texas Rangers and basement-dwelling Oakland Athletics will settle their three-game series Thursday in Sacramento, with all signs pointing toward a pitcher's duel at Sutter Health Park.
After splitting the first two contests—Texas taking the opener 8-5 before Oakland responded with a 5-2 victory on Wednesday—both teams send promising arms to the mound for the rubber match.
Jacob DeGrom gets the nod for the Rangers, entering with a 0-1 record and respectable 3.32 ERA across four starts. The veteran right-hander is coming off his most impressive performance of the season, where he tossed seven innings of three-hit ball, allowing just one earned run while striking out seven.
Offensively, the Rangers have struggled mightily this season, ranking 28th in MLB with a mere 3.21 runs per game. Their recent output against Oakland represents a significant improvement over their previous nine-game stretch, where they averaged just 2.33 runs.
For Oakland, J.T. Ginn takes the hill for his third start of 2024, sporting a 1-1 record with a 3.60 ERA. The right-hander faced some challenges in his previous outing, lasting only 4⅔ innings while surrendering three earned runs on four hits.
The Athletics, currently 11-13, have particularly struggled at home this season with a disappointing 3-8 record at Sutter Health Park. They've averaged only 3.91 runs per game at home, ranking 25th in the majors. According to data from Statbet, the Athletics' offensive performance shows a stark home/road split that ranks among the most pronounced in the American League this season.
One bright spot for Oakland has been outfielder Lawrence Butler, who has homered in consecutive games against Texas and collected hits in eight of his last nine contests.
Recent trends favor a low-scoring affair—the Rangers have stayed under the total in eight of their last nine games, while Oakland has gone under in four of their last six home contests. With DeGrom finding his rhythm and both offenses showing inconsistency, this series finale could very well become a battle of pitching prowess rather than offensive firepower.
