On Deck will be here all season to provide you with everything you need to know (and a few things you don't) about every Rangers series during the 2015 season.
The Opponent: The A's have won two straight games, but are still 10 games under .500 and in last place in the AL West. After stripping down and adding a few pieces, the A's have yet to come together to form a successful unit.
Past 2015 Meetings: The Rangers are 4-6 this season against their AL West rival, even though both teams' fortunes changed from last season.
Pitching Matchups: Tuesday -- Chi Chi Gonzalez (2-1, 0.91 ERA) vs. Jesse Chavez (3-6, 2.52); Wednesday -- Wandy Rodriguez (4-2, 3.20) vs. Kendall Graveman (3-4, 4.02); Thursday -- Colby Lewis (7-3, 4.08) vs. Sonny Gray (8-3, 1.95).
What's Hot: Rougned Odor has had a really nice time with the Rangers since being recalled from Round Rock. He's batting .400 over the last seven games, and perhaps most encouragingly has only struck out once. Prince Fielder is the only other Rangers regular hitting .300 or better in the last week, and he's right at .300. Gonzalez and Lewis are both coming off outings that saw them pitch eight innings, and Gonzalez fell two outs shy of his second shutout in four career starts against the Dodgers.
Oakland's offense is scorching at the moment, led by Brett Lawrie and Steven Vogt, who are hitting .478 and .458, respectively, over the last week. Vogt has 11 RBIs in that seven-game span thanks to two bombs, and Ben Zobrist has eight RBIs thanks to two homers of his own in that time. Jesse Chavez struck out 11 and worked seven innings his last time out.
What's Not: The Rangers lineup is littered with regulars who are struggling at the plate over the last week. Of course, facing the likes of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke will do that to a team, but they split those two games. Joey Gallo and Leonys Martin are each hitting below .100 over the last seven games.
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Josh Reddick is hitting just .156 over the last week. Sonny Gray got absolutely rocked in his last outing, giving up six runs in six innings, and the Rangers beat him the last time they saw him, showing that he was, in fact, mortal.
Familiar Faces:Adam Rosales, if you remember, bounced back and forth between the A's and Rangers a couple of years ago before finally settling in with the Rangers as a utility infielder and archnemesis of @Tepper. Craig Gentry, a former Rangers fan favorite has now bounced back and forth between the A's and Oakland's Triple-A affiliate as a fourth outfielder. He's now joined by another former Rangers fourth (or fifth) outfielder as Jake Smolinski was claimed off waivers by Oakland this weekend. Oh, and there's that Ron Washington character...
