JP Sears leads the Athletics into series finale against Rangers

The Oakland A's are set to take on the Texas Rangers in the third game of a three game set in Dallas this afternoon. Lefty JP Sears will make his third start of the year and is looking to improve upon the 8.68 ERA he's put up thus far.

It won't be an easy task as the Rangers boast the 7th best offense in the league in terms of runs per game. Their 127 OPS+ is good for second in the league and shortstop Corey Seager, who sat out last night, will return for today's matinee.

Former Oakland A's star Marcus Semien will bat leadoff for the Rangers. Since leaving the A's after 2020 for reasons we won't discuss here, Semien leads the league in games started and has hit .246/.331/.481 with 101 homers, 54 steals, two All-Star game appearances, and two top-3 MVP finishes.

It's a shame the A's weren't willing to spend the money to keep him in Oakland but if it's any consolation, at least he isn't here withering away on a dismal team. He was able to capture a World Series ring with the Rangers last season and it's great to see him have this much success after leaving the Bay.

Oakland A's lineup

Elsewhere, the A's are still running outfielder Seth Brown out there every day. He's started each of the A's 13 games this year and despite coming into today's matchup with a .364 OPS, Mark Kotsay has him hitting in the cleanup spot.

Tyler Nevin gets another start at first base, while Darell Hernaiz will start at shortstop a day after notching his first big league hit. Shea Langeliers will get the afternoon off and allow Kyle McCann to slide behind the dish.

Jon Gray is set to take the mound for the Rangers. He's struggled in two starts this year, pitching to a 6.14 ERA with just 5 total strikeouts.

He was solid for the Rangers during their championship push last year. His 157.1 innings were good for second most on that pitching staff. Jordan Montgomery threw more total innings but spent the first half of the season in St. Louis.

The A's need to get the bats going early and often if they want to take home a victory today. The bullpen was solid last night but outside of Mason Miller and Kyle Muller, they've struggled with consistency.

If Sears can keep the Rangers at bay for the first 5 innings, the A's might have a chance to steal a win and head back to Oakland with two straight series victories.