One of the biggest surprises of 2020 was that Lance Lynn did not change teams at the trade deadline. After the deadline, it became obvious that the Rangers had a very high asking price for the Cy Young Candidate that is under club control for 2021. Instead of helping a team make a playoff push, Lynn is now chasing recognition as the American League’s best pitcher, and he is not far off the pace. To get that recognition, he needs to beat the best and will get that chance on Sunday in the season series finale against the A’s.
Meanwhile, the A’s are starting to show the wear and tear of a tough eight-day, 10 game grind. That was evident in losses on Friday and in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Rangers. Oakland gets no break on Sunday as they face one of the best pitchers in the bigs this season. Despite the recent struggles, Oakland’s playoff future is all but assured, and the A’s are in no danger of relinquishing their perch at the top of their division.
Montas Trying to Build on Last Good Start
Going into his August 18 start against the Diamondbacks, Frankie Montas was one of the top pitchers in the American League. But then the right-hander was rocked for nine earned runs and four walks in just under two innings. Montas struggled in his next two starts before winning his most recent game against the Astros. In that win, Montas lasted five innings, limiting the Astros to two runs on six hits while striking out four. Montas will be making his first start against the Rangers this season, entering today’s game with a 4.54 FIP and a 1.540 WHIP.
Oakland’s formula for success this season has been solid pitching and the long ball. Recently, however, the A’s have seen somewhat of a power outage on offense, as they have hit just six home runs in the past seven games while slashing .235/.333/.374. Those splits are slightly better than the splits against lefties and on the road in 2020. Despite that, Matt Olson has found recent success, batting .308/.438/.615 with an 1.053 OPS and two homers over his past seven games. Mark Canha hits lefties at a .364 clip, and Stephen Piscotty (DTD - wrist) has the best road splits on the team (.305/.339/.559, 4 HR).
Lynn Looks to Continue Dominance Against the A’s
Lance Lynn has been one of two bright spots for the Rangers in 2020. Lynn enters today’s contest with a 4.12 FIP and a pristine 0.979 WHIP and is 1-0 in two starts against the A’s. In those combined starts, Lynn has allowed just three runs on eight hits with five walks and 15 strikeouts in a combined 12.1 innings. In his last start, Lynn held the Astros to one run on four hits in seven innings while striking out six.
The other bright spot has been third-year third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who has made the most of his 2020 season. Kiner-Falefa is one of the hottest hitters in the game right now, slashing .500/.500/.538 with a 1.038 OPS over the past seven games. He leads the team in splits against righties and at home by a long shot. While Kiner-Falefa lacks power, he is a master at getting on base and has a low strikeout rate.
Despite Kiner-Falefa’s effort, the Rangers rank 29th of 30 teams in batting average and are tied for dead last in runs scored. The Rangers have had a bit of a resurgence this week, however, and with Lance Lynn on the mound, Texas could scratch a few runs across in support of their star right-hander.
Notable Trends
- Texas: 3-8 in last 11 home games against Oakland
- Texas: 4-8 in last 12 games
- Oakland: 14-4 in last 18 games against Texas
- Oakland: 6-3 in last nine games
