Preview: Rangers (40-25) at Athletics (27-37)
Game: 3
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: June 15, 2016 10:05 PM EDT
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Right-hander Sonny Gray tries to end his career-high five-game losing streak when the Oakland Athletics face the Texas Rangers and lefty Derek Holland at the Oakland Coliseum on Wednesday night.
Gray is 3-6 with a 5.34 ERA -- more than two runs higher than his career mark of 3.15. But after a stint on the disabled list for a strained right trapezius, Gray has looked much more like his old self. Gray has gone 0-1 with a 2.13 ERA, nine strikeouts and two walks in two starts since coming off the DL on June 5.
"I feel good," Gray said Tuesday. "Physically I feel really good. It's nice to go out there and know you can go out there with some of your best stuff and go right after guys again, attack the strike zone and try to get early contact, which is what I've done in the past. That's really the main thing."
Gray had a no-decision in a 5-2 loss to Houston on June 5, allowing one run on five hits over five innings. On Friday, he allowed two runs on five hits over 7 2/3 innings but took the loss as the A's fell 2-1 to Cincinnati. He had a no-hitter through 5 1/3 innings but gave up two runs in the seventh when he helped the Reds with two wild pitches.
"We have our guy back, and he's pitching well," A's manager Bob Melvin said after Gray's last start.
Holland (5-5) had four straight quality starts, lowering his ERA from 6.09 to 4.53, before having a rough outing against Seattle on Friday. He gave up five runs and three home runs over five innings in a 7-5 loss. Holland gave up two home runs to Dae-Ho Lee and one to Kyle Seager.
Holland had allowed only six home runs this season before Friday when he allowed three in a game for the sixth time in his career.
"I'm not going to get too caught up in it," Holland said Tuesday of his last start. "I feel like my mechanics are where they need to be. I feel very confident going into it."
Holland is 5-5 with a 3.24 ERA over 19 games, including 14 starts, against the A's. At the Coliseum, he's 3-4 with a 2.95 ERA in 12 appearances, including 10 starts. He gave up two runs on three hits over six innings in a 3-1 loss to the A's in Oakland on May 16.
"I do enjoy pitching here," Holland said. "It's a very pitcher-friendly ball park. It's a very comfortable feeling, but at the same time I can't worry about the stats that have happened before or anything like that. I've got to focus on what's going on tomorrow and go out and execute my pitches."
Holland is 0-3 with a 5.16 ERA in his past five appearances, including four starts, against Oakland.
Game: 3
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: June 15, 2016 10:05 PM EDT
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Right-hander Sonny Gray tries to end his career-high five-game losing streak when the Oakland Athletics face the Texas Rangers and lefty Derek Holland at the Oakland Coliseum on Wednesday night.
Gray is 3-6 with a 5.34 ERA -- more than two runs higher than his career mark of 3.15. But after a stint on the disabled list for a strained right trapezius, Gray has looked much more like his old self. Gray has gone 0-1 with a 2.13 ERA, nine strikeouts and two walks in two starts since coming off the DL on June 5.
"I feel good," Gray said Tuesday. "Physically I feel really good. It's nice to go out there and know you can go out there with some of your best stuff and go right after guys again, attack the strike zone and try to get early contact, which is what I've done in the past. That's really the main thing."
Gray had a no-decision in a 5-2 loss to Houston on June 5, allowing one run on five hits over five innings. On Friday, he allowed two runs on five hits over 7 2/3 innings but took the loss as the A's fell 2-1 to Cincinnati. He had a no-hitter through 5 1/3 innings but gave up two runs in the seventh when he helped the Reds with two wild pitches.
"We have our guy back, and he's pitching well," A's manager Bob Melvin said after Gray's last start.
Holland (5-5) had four straight quality starts, lowering his ERA from 6.09 to 4.53, before having a rough outing against Seattle on Friday. He gave up five runs and three home runs over five innings in a 7-5 loss. Holland gave up two home runs to Dae-Ho Lee and one to Kyle Seager.
Holland had allowed only six home runs this season before Friday when he allowed three in a game for the sixth time in his career.
"I'm not going to get too caught up in it," Holland said Tuesday of his last start. "I feel like my mechanics are where they need to be. I feel very confident going into it."
Holland is 5-5 with a 3.24 ERA over 19 games, including 14 starts, against the A's. At the Coliseum, he's 3-4 with a 2.95 ERA in 12 appearances, including 10 starts. He gave up two runs on three hits over six innings in a 3-1 loss to the A's in Oakland on May 16.
"I do enjoy pitching here," Holland said. "It's a very pitcher-friendly ball park. It's a very comfortable feeling, but at the same time I can't worry about the stats that have happened before or anything like that. I've got to focus on what's going on tomorrow and go out and execute my pitches."
Holland is 0-3 with a 5.16 ERA in his past five appearances, including four starts, against Oakland.
