Phillies 1 - 3 Athletics
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A's hope to pad wild card lead in opener with Phillies

Sep 19, 2014 - 2:50 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Oakland Athletics will try to keep their playoff hopes alive when they open a three-game series versus the Philadelphia Phillies Friday night.

The Athletics are one game ahead of the Seattle Mariners for the second and final wild card spot in the American League and have lost three straight and six of their last eight games.

Oakland was swept in three games by the lowly Texas Rangers and is coming off Thursday's 7-2 loss, as Sonny Gray lasted five innings in the start and allowed five runs -- four earned -- and eight hits. Gray was behind immediately after the Rangers put up four runs in the first inning.

Sam Fuld had two hits and two RBI for the A's.

"It felt like we were back in the game when it was 4-2, but we couldn't get anything going after that," said A's manager Bob Melvin.

Jon Lester gets the call for Melvin's club Friday and he is 5-3 with a 2.30 earned run average in nine starts with the A's. Lester has won two straight starts and fired six shutout innings of four-hit ball in Sunday's 4-0 win at Seattle.

Lester has made four career starts against the Phillies and is 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA.

Philadelphia was aiming for a split of a four-game series with the San Diego Padres, but suffered a 7-3 loss on Thursday.

Kyle Kendrick was dealt the loss for allowing three runs in five innings, while Ben Revere finished with three hits and an RBI. Domonic Brown had two hits and knocked in a run for the Phillies, who are playing out the string and have lost six of the last nine games.

"I didn't have any command," Kendrick said.

The Phillies will also visit Miami on their road trip.

David Buchanan draws the start for Philadelphia Friday and he is 6-7 with a 3.75 ERA. Buchanan is 0-2 in his last two decisions and hasn't factored in the outcome in each of his previous five starts. The Phillies are 1-6 in his last seven appearances and dropped a 5-4 decision to Miami on Sunday.

Buchanan allowed only one run to the Marlins in 6 1/3 innings and hasn't allowed more than two runs over his past six starts. The right-hander has never faced Oakland and is 2-4 in eight road starts.

The Phils and A's are meeting for the first time since Philadelphia won two of three games at home from June 24-26, 2011.






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