ATHLETICS moved into First Place in the AL WEST due to a RANGER Power Outage last week...now A's and RANGERS play Four at the BALLPARK in Arlington...A CUP of JOE in the SHOW Report #ATHLETICSbiz #RANGERSbiz #ALWestBiz

The AL West leading Oakland Athletics come in in first place as we go to press three full games up on the 2nd place Texas Rangers. The A's swept the Bronx Bombers but then lose two out of three to the M's this past week.  The Ranger beat the Tribe a week ago today then lost two in a row to the Indians and then get swept by the Blue Jays four straight in Texas. Now the Rangers find themselves some three games back of the A's with a four game set on tap.

June 17, 2013 8:05pm ET
OAK Straily (4-2) vs TEX Tepesch (3-6)

June 18, 2013 8:05pm ET
OAK Parker (5-6) vs TEX Darvish (7-2)

June 19, 2013 8:05pm ET
OAK Milone (6-6) vs TEX Grimm (5-5)

June 20, 2013 2:05pm ET
OAK Griffin (5-6) vs TEX Lindblom (0-2)

The A's have got back into first place with Pitching and the Rangers will get to see their good young arms in this series. Darvish will get Game 2 for the Rangers as they must start getting Good Solid Starting Pitching. The A's are led by LF and Cuban Yoenis Cespedes as he comes in with 13 bombs and 36 ribbies while only hitting .240. RF Josh Reddick has struggled and is only hitting .211 with three homers and twenty knocked in.  The Rangers are led by RF Nelson Cruz as he leads the Rangers  with 16 homers and 44 RBI's while hitting.260. Adrian Beltre is 2nd on the Rangers in those categories hitting .305 with 14 bombs and 38 ribbies.

Rangers can ill afford to lose any ground to the A's head to head....