Texas Rangers (80-69) at Oakland A’s (64-86) LHP Martin Perez (3-5, 4.96) vs. LHP Sean Nowlin (1-1, 3.24) Game #150 • Road #76 (41-34) • Tue., Sept. 22, 2015 • O.co Coliseum • 9:05 p.m. (CDT) • FSSW / MLBN / 105.3 FM / 1540 AM RANGERS AT A GLANCE WINS AND LOSSES: The Rangers open their final roadtrip AGAINST THE A.L. WEST: Texas is in a stretch of 23 straight of the regular season this evening, a 6-game trip with 3 con- games in its own division that began on 9/4...the Rangers Overall ..............................80-69 tests each in Oakland and Houston...Texas has lost 2 of 3 are 30-36 (.455) in their own division in 2015...Texas is 12-4 and were 7-3 on its homestand against Oakland (2-1), Hous- against Houston but has combined for an 18-32 (.360) mark Home ................................39-35 Road .................................41-34 ton (4-0), and Seattle (1-2)...club has won 6 of 8 and is 12-7 vs. Los Angeles, Oakland, and Seattle...club is 12-8 vs. the (.632) in September, tied for TOR (12-7) for 2nd best winning A.L. West beginning 8/17 and is 18-11 since 7/24...the Rang- Standing ................1st, +1.0 GA percentage in A.L. for the month to SEA at .667 (12-6)…Tex- ers are 15-17 in A.L. West parks in 2015. as has dropped consecutive games just twice in the last 37 Homestand ...........................7-3 contests beginning 8/13... as won 7 of 10, 9 of 14, 16 of 24, PLAYING ON: Monday was the final scheduled regular sea- One-Run ...........................26-20 19 of 29, 25 of 37, and 33 of the last 50 games, the longer son off day for the Rangers in 2015 as the club is scheduled 2-Run ................................17-12 span beginning 7/29…club has gone 37-20 (.649) begin- to play on the final 13 days of the campaign...Texas is one of ning 7/21, 2nd in A.L. (TOR-.696, 39-17) and T3rd in MLB… 10 ML teams with 149 games played to date with only CLE HR ....................................58-28 No HR...............................22-41 team’s 38-23 (.623) record since the All-Star break is 2nd in (148) having played fewer games...the Rangers have played A.L. and T3rd in ML (see chart at left)…club is 68-51 start- the fewest games of any A.L. West club: 151--HOU; 150-- White ................................31-26 ing 5/10 and 72-53 since 5/4…at 80-69 (.537), team has the LAA, OAK, SEA...Texas has been scheduled to play on 30 of Gray ..................................18-15 4th-best record in the A.L…club has been a season high 12 the last 31 days in 2015 beginning 9/4. Alt. Blue ............................21-23 games above .500 twice, last on 9/19 at 80-68, its best record Blue Home .........................0-4 Blue Road ......................21-19 since the end of 2013 (91-72)...team was a season high 8 G THE CHOO EXPRESS: Shin-Soo Choo is 12-for-18 with 4 Alt. Red (all home) ...............8-6 under .500 on 5/3 (8-16). walks over his last 5 games and batted .543 (19-37) with 8 Camo Road ..........................1-0 walks and 11 runs on the 10-game homestand to improve his Stars Home...........................0-1 MARKED IMPROVEMENT: At 80-69, Texas has 13 more season average from .253 to .272. Powder Blue Road................1-0 wins than in all of 2014 (67-95)…the 13-win improvement is • Choo is batting .441 (30-68) in 19 games in September, Last 5 Games .......................3-2 2nd-best in MLB to only a +15 for the Cubs (88-62 in 2015, the 2nd highest average in the majors among qualifiers (50+ Last 10 Games .....................7-3 73-89 in 2014) in 2015…the 13-win improvement is already PA) behind the Cubs’ Starlin Castro (.444)...he has the ML’s T5th-best in Rangers history (full seasons only), and only highest on-base percentage in Sept. at .568. Come From Behind Wins ...... 27 Losses After Lead ................. 28 other year with an improvement that large since 1999 came • Choo has reached base safely in his last 19 and 40 of his in 2004 (+18)...with one more victory, Texas will have 6th sea- last 41 G…since the All-Star break, he is batting .350 (69- Score First ........................62-22 son with .500 or better record in the last 7 years. 197) 56 games to rise from .221 while leading the A.L. in Opp. Score First ...............18-47 on-base percentage (.469) in that span. Texas has had sole possession Columns below listed in a FIRST PLACE RANGERS: Home/Road/Total format of 1st place in the A.L. West for the last 7 days beginning WEEKLY HONOR: On Monday, Prince Fielder was selected 9/15...that is the team’s longest span of being along at the top as the A.L. co-Player of the Week with White Sox’ Jose Abreu vs. AL West . 15-19/15-17/30-36 since 23 straight days, 8/10-9/1/13...after 3 straight days with for 9/14-20...Fielder led the A.L. in runs (9), tied for 1st in RBI vs. AL Central ...... 7-6/9-7/16-13 a 2.5 game advantage from 9/17-19, club has lost 1.5 games (9) and tied for 3rd in HR (3) and BB (6) in his 7 games for vs. AL East .......12-5/11-6/23-11 Interleague .............5-5/6-4/11-9 the last 2 days and current 1.0 game lead is lowest since 9/5 the week...it was his 6th career player of the week selection, (0.5 GA)...the 2.5 GA was team’s biggest September lead the 1st since the week ending 4/14/13 with DET...Fielder was Series .....11-11-2/10-9-5/21-20-7 since 9/29/12 (2.5 GA). the 2nd Ranger honored this season, joining Rougned Odor Series Openers..12-12/13-11/25-23 • Texas had not been alone in 1st place all season until win for the week ending 7/26. Series Finales ...12-11/12-12/24-23 Rubber Games .......4-5/3-6/7-11 on 9/15 vs. HOU in game #144…became just 6th team in division era (since 1969) to take sole possession of a division MITCH MORELAND hit his team high 22nd homer of the Lead after 6 ....... 35-5/26-4/61-9 lead for the 1st time in game #144-or-later of a season (credit year on Sunday, one shy of his season best (2013)...his 79 Lead after 7 ....... 33-4/27-3/60-7 Elias): 2012 A’s (game no. 162), 2007 Phillies (160), 2006 RBI are 19 more than his previous best (2013) and he has Lead after 8 ....... 35-3/32-1/67-4 Twins (162), 1978 Yankees (144), and 1973 Mets (154). matched his career bests with 120 hits and 24 2B...Moreland Trail after 6 ........ 3-27/6-28/9-55 • Texas was 8.0 GB on 8/2 and 9.0 games out of 1st on has 4 HR and 11 RBI in his last 11 games beginning 9/8, tied Trail after 7 ........ 1-28/5-28/6-56 7/22…Rangers are trying to become 5th team in past 40 for the 2nd most HR in the A.L. in that span. Trail after 8 ........ 1-28/2-29/3-57 years and 1st since 2006 Twins to win its division after trailing by at least 8.0 games in August (credit Elias). VERSUS LEFTHANDERS: Texas will face lefthanded start- Tied after 6 ............ 3-3/7-2/10-5 Tied after 7 ............ 7-3/7-3/14-6 • The season-high 9.5-game deficit in 2015 (5/3, 5/19-20) is ers in at least the 1st 2 games of this series...the Rangers Tied after 8 ............ 5-4/5-4/10-8 the largest in club history before reaching 1st place at some are 4-1 in the last 5 games when facing a southpaw starter... point later in a campaign, as previous high was 9.0 GB before in that span, lefty starters are 0-3 with 2 ND and an 8.74 ERA Decided 7th/later.... 10-9/14-9/24-18 reaching 1st place in 1977. (23 ER/23.1 IP)...last lefty starter to defeat the Rangers was Shutouts ........................... 3-1/6-8/9-9 Decided final AB ...10-7/7-7/17-14 tonight’s opponent, Sean Nolin on 9/12 in Arlington...overall, Walk-off games ....................7-6 ON THE ROAD: The Rangers have lost consecutive away the Rangers are 29-29 in games in games started by op- games for the 1st time since 3 straight defeats, 8/9-12....team poisng lefthanders in 2015, 14-14 on the road...the 58 starts has won 8 of 13 on the road beginning 8/21...at 41-34 (547), by lefthanders vs. the Rangers are the most of any major ALL-TIME HOME RUN LIST league team. Rank HR Player the Rangers are 3rd in the majors in road winning percentage 49 414 Darrell Evans (.573-STL; .560-CHI) and T3rd in wins...this marks the 4th 50 412 Alfonso Soriano time in the last 5 years that the Rangers have had a winning ON THE ACTIVE ROSTER: With the recall of OF Leonys 51 410 Adrian Beltre record on the road...41 wins are T4th most in club history Martin on Sunday, the Rangers have 37 players on their ac- 52 407 Duke Snider after 75 road games: 44-31 in 1977; 42-33 in 2012 and 2013; tive roster...according to STATS, Inc., that currently is tied for 407 Miguel Cabrera 41-34 in 1999...Texas was 29-46 after 75 road games in 2014 3rd most among ML clubs: 39--NYY; 38--NYM; 37--ARI; LAA; 54 399 Al Kaline and finished at 34-47 away from home...the Rangers’ +7 in OAK; TEX...Texas has used 57 players overall in 2015, 2nd 399 Andres Galarraga road wins from 2014 is 2nd most in ML to the Cubs at +10.