The Texas Rangers (74-82, 69-87 RL, 74-76-6 O/U) face the Oakland Athletics (67-89, 83-73 RL, 74-79-3 O/U) in the continuation of their three-game series on Wednesday evening. Cody Bradford will take the mound for Texas, while Oakland counters with Brady Basso. The Rangers currently lead their season series against the Athletics 6-4.
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Bradford Shines Amidst Rangers’ Challenges
Cody Bradford is slated to pitch on Wednesday after an impressive outing in his last appearance, where he threw seven scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. Over the past month, Bradford has emerged as a bright spot for the Rangers, allowing two or fewer runs in four out of his last five starts. He boasts a solid 3.59 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP, and a 6-3 record across 72.2 innings pitched this season. In previous matchups against Oakland, he has allowed only three runs in 14.2 innings.
Despite Bradford’s success, the Rangers have struggled this season, facing elimination from postseason contention last week. The defending champions have had difficulty maintaining offensive consistency, dropping three of their last four series, including a disappointing performance against the Mariners where they allowed 21 runs. Their road record stands at 15 games below .500.
Injuries have plagued the team, with Corey Seager sidelined for the rest of the season. However, Adolis Garcia is making an impact at the plate, contributing 16 RBIs this month alone. This 31-year-old slugger has hit 23 home runs and driven in 80 runs for the season, with Garcia collecting seven RBIs in games against the Athletics.
The Rangers average 4.17 runs per game, placing them 20th in the league, while their pitching staff has a 4.40 ERA, ranking them 25th.
Basso’s Development as a Promising Starter for Oakland
The Athletics will turn to rookie Brady Basso for Wednesday’s game. Although Basso struggled in his last outing against the Cubs, giving up three runs in 4.2 innings, he has shown improvement this month with a notable 1.69 ERA. His overall stats feature a 2.33 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP across 19.1 innings pitched this season, with only one home run allowed.
Oakland has displayed some signs of promise for the upcoming season, particularly at the plate. They managed to take two out of three games from the Cubs last week but faced a setback against the Yankees this week, losing all three games and scoring just six runs while allowing 21. Currently, they sit five games below .500 at home.
Brent Rooker continues to stand out as one of the league’s top hitters. The 29-year-old has had an impressive September, hitting five home runs and driving in 19 runs, while maintaining a .902 OPS. His season totals now include 38 home runs and 110 RBIs, along with a .937 OPS. Against the Rangers, Rooker has recorded eight RBIs and an impressive 1.3 OPS.
Oakland averages 4.00 runs per game, ranking 25th overall, and their pitching staff has a collective 4.38 ERA, placing them 24th in the league.
Strategic Insights for Texas Rangers vs. Oakland Athletics
The Texas Rangers aim to conclude this challenging season on a high note, having won only four of their last ten games leading into Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the Athletics are looking to capitalize on their motivation as they prepare for their final games at the Oakland Coliseum before relocating to Sacramento next season.
Additionally, it is noteworthy that Rangers pitcher Cody Bradford has struggled on the road, allowing 16 runs in 16.2 innings, leading to a concerning 8.10 ERA. In contrast, Brady Basso of the Athletics has shown resilience, limiting opponents to just three runs across his last three outings, which spanned 16 innings.
