The Oakland A’s have won four in a row and look to make it five straight tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Coliseum. The A’s moved back over .500 to 61-60 and are hoping to continue their ankle-biter status with the Rangers. The A’s remain seven games back of the division-leading Rangers, but haven’t quite yet been put to bed.
Tonight’s game is notable for the pitching matchup of Brett Anderson and David Price. Anderson is only 3-4 but when healthy he’s been very solid for the A’s, as seen by his 2.89 era. Anderson was expected to be the ace of the rotation and was secure in that role before losing time to elbow problems. Trevor Cahill has stepped up as the team’s ace, but Anderson remains a strong presence.
The Rays counter with All-Star David Price. Price is 15-5 with a 2.85 era and is coming off a 6 inning no decision against Texas. He made a start earlier this season against the A’s in which he went 7.2 innings and gave up 1 run on 3 hits.