• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Athletics-Rangers Preview

May 13, 2010 - 5:36 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Oakland (18-15) at Texas (18-15), 2:05 p.m. EDT

An offensive outburst helped Texas regain sole possession of first place in the AL West. The way the Rangers are pitching, they may stay there for a while.

Texas will have AL ERA leader C.J. Wilson on the mound in Arlington on Thursday when the Rangers decide their series with the second-place Oakland Athletics.

The A's snapped Texas' four-game winning streak and pulled into a tie atop the division with their 7-6, 13-inning victory Tuesday, but there was far less drama in the Rangers' 10-1 triumph Wednesday.

Texas hit a season-high five home runs, including the second in as many nights for Josh Hamilton and the fourth of Justin Smoak's three-week major league career. Michael Young, Vladimir Guerrero and Max Ramirez all added solo shots.

While the Rangers (19-15) have scored 42 runs in their last six games, their starting pitching has been arguably even more impressive while the team has won nine of 12 and posted a 3.12 ERA in that stretch.

Wilson (3-1, 1.51 ERA) has been the rotation's surprising anchor, making a smooth transition in his first full season as a starter. He had been the Rangers' closer for parts of the last three years, earning 50 saves over that span.

The left-hander didn't need any help from the bullpen Friday against Kansas City, pitching his first nine-inning complete game in a 4-1 win.

"Once I got through the sixth with a low pitch count, I wanted to finish it off," Wilson said. "Once I got into the eighth, I just clicked into another gear and went into closer mode."

Wilson went the distance in a rain-shortened six-inning loss to New York on April 16.

This has also been a transitional year for Oakland's Ben Sheets as the former Milwaukee ace tries to adjust to the AL and regain his form after missing all of 2009 following elbow surgery. The A's signed him to a one-year, $10 million contract in January.

Sheets (2-3, 6.38), who gets the start, may draw encouragement from his last appearance, a 4-2 win over Tampa Bay on Saturday when he struck out eight while working a season-high 6 1-3 innings. The right-hander had allowed 17 runs and 19 hits including five home runs over 7 1-3 innings in his previous two outings.

"I think I just relaxed, and I hadn't relaxed all year," Sheets said. "I felt like I was kind of returning to who I was before. I was comfortable with the adjustments I had made. Everything could be thrown for strikes."

Sheets tossed seven shutout innings in his only appearance against the Rangers on June 9, 2007, but he's found things considerably tougher on the road this year - he's 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA, and has allowed opponents to bat .446.

The A's (18-16) have dropped eight of 10 on the road, but they had won five in a row at Texas and three straight overall before Wednesday's loss. Oakland took two of three from the Rangers at home from May 3-5.