• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Gallardo seeks first win against A's

Jun 10, 2015 - 2:26 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Yovani Gallardo looks to beat Oakland for the first time in his career on Wednesday night when the Texas Rangers continue a three-game series with the Athletics.

Gallardo has faced Oakland once this season, taking a 7-1 loss at home on May 3. He was charged with four runs -- three earned -- over 6 2/3 innings, falling to 0-3 against the Athletics lifetime with a 6.48 earned run average over three starts.

That setback was part of a four-start losing streak for Gallardo that stretched from April 22-May 8, but he has won three of his last four decisions and has posted a 2.70 ERA over his past five outings.

The right-hander is coming off a no-decision against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, allowing only one unearned run over six innings of his club's 2-1 win. He scattered three hits and two walks while striking out four.

"Gallardo grinded through," Texas manager Jeff Banister said of the 29-year- old, who sits 5-6 on the year with a 3.54 ERA.

Taking the mound tonight for Oakland will be right-hander Jesse Hahn, who is 3-5 on the year with a 3.51 ERA.

Hahn is coming off a 7-5 victory over the hosting Detroit Tigers on Thursday, charged with just one run on five hits and a walk over seven innings. He has won two of his past three outings.

The 25-year-old faced the Rangers for the first time in his career on April 7, his season debut, and was touched for three runs on seven hits over six innings of a loss.

The Rangers won last night's opener 2-1 as Nick Martinez outpitched A's ace Sonny Gray.

Martinez was roughed up for seven runs in his last outing, but he bounced back on Tuesday, giving up just a hit and three walks over six scoreless innings. Gray, who had allowed two runs over his last three starts combined, yielded a pair of runs with six strikeouts over six innings in a tough-luck loss.

Mitch Moreland homered and Prince Fielder drove in a run for Texas, which has won four of its last five as well as 15 of its last 19 while going 20-12 on the road this season.

"Tough win tonight," said Banister. "Our guys battled."

Oakland got on the board in the eighth inning when Stephen Vogt's single scored Ben Zobrist, but Texas reliever Tanner Scheppers got through the rest of the inning without further damage, then Shawn Tolleson came on in the ninth and nailed down his eighth save of the season.

The A's have dropped four straight since a four-game winning streak and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position last night.

"Well we had some opportunities, but we didn't get the big hit that we needed to," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.

Rangers outfielder/first baseman Kyle Blanks is close to returning from a pilonidal cyst procedure and could be activated off the disabled list as early as today after traveling with the team to Oakland.

Blanks has not played since May 19 and is batting .322 with three homers.

These two clubs have split eight meetings this season.