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Rangers-Athletics Preview

May 4, 2010 - 6:41 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Texas (14-12) at Oakland (13-14), 10:05 p.m. EDT

Scott Feldman has a chance to help the Texas Rangers win six straight road games for the first time in four years.

If he can flash his road form from 2009, the Rangers have to like their chances.

The right-hander seeks to lead Texas to a 5-0 mark on its current road trip, a seventh win in eight games overall, and a second straight victory in Oakland against the Athletics on Tuesday night.

Feldman (1-2, 4.50 ERA) won five of his first eight starts in 2009 en route to a 17-8 finish that helped him earn the title of opening-day starter for 2010. Success on the road was a big reason. Feldman was 12-4 with a 3.56 ERA away from Arlington, tying Cy Young contenders CC Sabathia and Adam Wainwright for the most road wins in the majors.

He fared poorly in his only road outing thus far in 2010, lasting only 2 1-3 innings against the New York Yankees on April 17, giving up four runs, seven hits and two walks in the 7-3 defeat.

Feldman has yielded 11 more runs in 9 2-3 innings over his last two starts, though it hasn't been all his fault. Only five of the runs have been earned. He allowed three runs - one earned - over six innings in Thursday's 7-5 defeat to Chicago, and avoided his third loss in as many starts.

"We got Feldman back," Texas manager Ron Washington told the team's official website. "I thought he threw the ball very well."

Feldman is 3-4 with a 5.33 ERA in 13 appearances - eight starts - versus Oakland.

He'll try to continue the recent excellent pitching for the Rangers (14-12), who have posted a 1.10 staff ERA while opening their six-game road trip with four straight wins. Former Oakland starter Rich Harden limited the A's to two hits while striking out nine to lead Texas to a 4-2 victory in Monday night's series opener.

Including a sweep of Seattle to open this trip and an April 22 victory in Boston, the Rangers have won five straight on the road for the first time since a six-game run April 29-May 15, 2006.

Oakland starter Vin Mazzaro will try to deny the Rangers that accomplishment as he replaces the injured Justin Duchscherer (strained left hip) in the rotation.

Mazzaro, who was 1-1 with a 2.59 ERA in five games for Triple-A Sacramento in 2010, went 4-9 with a 5.32 ERA as a rookie in 17 starts last season for the A's (13-14). He has never faced the Rangers.

As good as the Rangers' rotation has been lately, Oakland's has been that bad. A's starters have posted a 10.26 ERA during a 1-6 stretch, with the offense totaling 23 runs.

The bullpen, though, gains a reinforcement with Michael Wuertz available to pitch Tuesday. The staff leader with 74 appearances in 2009, Wuertz was activated from the disabled list (right shoulder tendinitis) before the series opener.

"I think after going through what I did, I almost feel better than I ever have starting a season," Wuertz told the A's official website. "The only thing that's a little weird is getting back into the baseball realm."

The Rangers, 6-1 against AL West rivals, haven't won back-to-back games over Oakland since sweeping a doubleheader at home last May 29, then winning again the following day.