Rangers, A's square off by the Bay

Sep 13, 2007, 14:51 GMT

- The Texas Rangers try and climb out of the AL West cellar this evening when they open a four-game set with the Oakland Athletics at McAfee Coliseum.

After winning 13 of 15 games, including a three-game sweep of the A's last weekend, Texas dropped back-to-back games to the Detroit Tigers, including a 5-1 setback on Thursday at Comerica Park. David Murphy went 3-for-4 and drove in the lone run, while Michael Young went 2-for-3 and scored the run for the Rangers, who are just a game back of the A's for third place in the division.

Edinson Volquez (2-1) allowed five runs on seven hits with four walks and a career-high six strikeouts over six innings for Texas.

Getting the call for the Rangers tonight will be veteran Kevin Millwood, who will be pitching on three days' rest after leaving his last start on Sunday against the A's over just 1 1/3 innings due to a lengthy rain delay. He is 9-11 on the season with a 5.31 ERA.

Millwood is 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in three starts this season against Oakland and 3-2 lifetime against the A's with a 3.68 ERA in nine starts.

Oakland, meanwhile, was denied a sweep in its three-game series with the struggling Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, falling 6-5 at Safeco Field. Nick Swisher and Mike Piazza both drove in two runs for the Athletics, who gave up a run in the ninth and have now lost six of nine.

Andrew Brown (2-2) was tagged with the loss, as he surrendered a run and two hits in just a third of an inning.

The A's will give the ball tonight to Chad Gaudin, who is 10-11 on the season with a 4.47 ERA. Gaudin was hammered by the Rangers on Saturday, as he allowed six runs and 10 hits in just 3 2/3 innings.

Gaudin is 1-5 in his career against the Rangers with a 6.42 ERA in 14 games, five of which have been starts.

The Rangers are 9-6 this season against the A's. The teams, though, have split the six matchups in the Bay Area.

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