The Texas Rangers will look to locate their suddenly missing offense when they face the Athletics on Tuesday in the opener of the three-game American League West series in Sacramento, Calif.
The Rangers will start left-hander Patrick Corbin (1-0, 3.86 ERA) while the Athletics will counter with right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-1, 2.61).
Texas heads west after losing two of three at home to the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers that included a 1-0 setback on Sunday in the series’ rubber game. The Rangers managed just five hits off of seven Los Angeles pitchers in the loss, with Texas designated hitter Josh Smith leading the way with three singles.
The Rangers were shut out for the third time this season and second time in three games. They were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position on Sunday and 1-for-11 in the series.
“I’m not having concerns right now,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said about his team’s offensive struggles. “Sure, you’d like to see more runs, but these guys — I keep saying it — they’ll come out of it. If this kept going on for a month or something, yeah, I think you’d be concerned. We have a lot of baseball left and guys are still trying to get in their groove.”
Corbin surrendered one run on five hits in his most recent start, a 3-1 home win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. He struck out six and walked one in 5 1/3 innings of work in his second appearance of the year after beginning the season at Triple-A Round Rock.
Corbin has faced the Athletics once in his career, earning a 7-1 win while with Arizona on seven innings of one-run, four-hit pitching while fanning seven in May 2018. His ERA against the Athletics is 1.29.
The Athletics head to their temporary home in the California capital after taking a 14-1 shellacking in Milwaukee on Sunday. They surrendered four runs in the first inning and never recovered, ceding the rubber game of the series to the Brewers.
The Athletics won four times on their six-game road trip to Chicago and Milwaukee but have dropped two of their past three.
Bido picked up his second victory of the season in his last start, going 5 2/3 innings in a game the Athletics captured 3-1 against the White Sox in Chicago on Wednesday. He allowed one run on five hits and a walk and did not record a strikeout in the win.
“I didn’t strike out anyone, but I was attacking the zone and getting weak contact,” Bido said after the win over the White Sox. “This is a big opportunity for me. I feel super happy to be in the rotation as a starter. I feel proud. I feel like I can’t let myself or the team down.”
Bido has gone at least five innings in all four of his starts this season and has not given up more than two runs in any of his appearances. He has a 0-1 record and a 13.50 ERA in one career start against the Rangers, allowing four runs on three hits over 2 2/3 innings last May in a 12-11 Texas win in Oakland.
–Field Level Media
