Rangers seek to halt slide at expense of reeling A's

The Texas Rangers don't have much time to put an ugly series against the Los Angeles Angels behind them, but manager Skip Schumaker vowed there will be changes entering Friday's opener against the Athletics at West Sacramento, Calif.

The Rangers dropped the final three contests of a four-game set against the Angels, and Thursday's 7-0 setback left them 1-6 in Anaheim, Calif., this season.

"We have to figure it out," Schumaker told reporters after his club's fourth loss in five games. "It starts with me. I have to do something different on the road. In the division (American League West), especially, we have not been good (17-23).

"We have to switch it up somehow, and I have to come up with different ideas for that to happen because that series right there cannot happen."

The Rangers went 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position over the final three games vs. the Angels while scoring just four runs.

Thursday's loss dropped Texas to two games behind the first-place Houston Astros in the AL West. Also, the Detroit Tigers leapfrogged the Rangers to sit in the third and final wild-card berth.

Schumaker said there is one goal for the opener of the three-game set.

"Go in and win (Friday); that's the only thing you can do," he said. "That was as tough of a road trip that you can start out with."

Texas is 3-4 vs. the A's this season and lost two of three games in an April visit to Sutter Health Park.

Meanwhile, the Athletics were outscored 30-14 while being swept in three games by the visiting Tampa Bay Rays this week.

The A's have dropped 15 of their past 18 games and 32 of their last 39.

Tyler Soderstrom (hip) sat out Tuesday and served as the designated hitter Wednesday prior to Thursday's day off. A's manager Mark Kotsay sad Soderstrom will see a lot of time at DH.

"We're trying to get 'Sody' through the end of the season," Kotsay said. "It's our best way to manage him in terms of not stressing the hip. Get him off his feet but keeping him in the lineup."

Soderstrom has a 10-game hitting streak despite the discomfort. He is batting .289 with two homers and six RBIs in 10 games this month.

Soderstrom, 24, has 19 homers and 56 RBIs overall and is on track to finish the season as the team leader in both categories. Shea Langeliers (team-best 23 homers) is done for the season after knee surgery, and fellow All-Star Nick Kurtz (21 blasts, team-best 69 RBIs) likely is finished due to a thumb injury.

"For Sody, this is a guy that is a piece of our core," Kotsay said. "He hits in the middle of the order for a reason, and we need everything we can get from him."

Kotsay also said Carlos Cortes (.258) will receive more playing time in left field.

Texas, meanwhile, will turn to right-hander Kumar Rocker (4-9, 4.46 ERA) in the opener.

Rocker, 26, was roughed by the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday when he gave up six runs and seven hits in three-plus innings during a 10-5 loss. He faced the A's twice in April and went 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA over 10 2/3 innings. Overall, he is 0-3 with a 6.35 ERA in four career starts against the Athletics.

The A's are expected to counter with left-hander Gage Jump (5-7, 4.46 ERA). The 23-year-old rookie struck out a career-best 11 in six innings while beating the Boston Red Sox 7-3 last Saturday. He gave up two runs and six hits.

Jump is 2-1 over his last three starts, with both victories coming against the Red Sox.

Jump has never faced the Rangers.

--Field Level Media