The Texas Rangers close out their four-game series against the Athletics on Thursday in Sacramento, once again facing a challenge that has troubled them early this season left-handed pitching.
Texas struggled in its last matchup against a southpaw, managing just four hits in a narrow 2-1 loss to the A’s. Overall, the Rangers have had significant difficulty against left-handers, posting a .185 batting average with limited power and run production, along with a high strikeout rate. Their performance against lefties has been notably weaker compared to right-handed pitching.
Following this game, the Rangers will travel to Seattle to finish a 10-game road trip, with Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, and MacKenzie Gore expected to start against the Mariners. The team will then return home for a nine-game stretch beginning Tuesday, hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates, Athletics, and New York Yankees before heading back on the road in May.
Thursday’s matchup is set for 2:05 p.m. CT at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. Fans can watch on Rangers Sports Network or NBC Sports Bay Area, with streaming available on Victory+. Radio coverage will be on KRLD 1080 and KFLC 1270.
On the mound, right-hander Jack Leiter (1-1, 4.91 ERA) will start for Texas, looking to rebound after a tough outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he allowed five runs in just over three innings. Despite the setback, he has recorded 21 strikeouts across 14.2 innings this season.
The Athletics will counter with left-hander Jacob Lopez (1-1, 7.43 ERA), who is coming off a win but has struggled with control and run prevention, allowing 11 earned runs in just over 13 innings while issuing 13 walks.
The Rangers continue to deal with several injuries, including multiple pitchers sidelined on the injured list, further testing the team’s depth as they aim to finish the series on a strong note.
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