The Athletics are hurting.There is simply no other way around it: the Athletics need a win. After winning back-to-back series vs. the Astros and Twins, the Athletics would completely collapse vs. the Orioles. With not much to play for, the Athletics have a great opportunity to spoil the Rangers' bid for a divisional title. Three Best Starters Will PitchAug 26, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics starting pitcher J.T. Ginn (35) throws a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe last time the Athletics had JT Ginn, Gage Jump, and Jacob Lopez on the mound in the same series was against the Rangers. During that series, the Athletics beat the Rangers 2-1 with a +6 run differential. With the same setup in this meeting, we could see another Athletics series win. With this series also taking place at Globe Life Field, it means we should see better pitching across the board from both teams. That said, the Athletics' pitching staff will have to play its best to keep up with the Rangers. That should be no issue for a trio that has been excellent, barring a few outliers. Less Pressure on BullpenAug 28, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Luis Medina (46) delivers a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectIn the past series, it was inferred that the bullpen would have a significant impact on how the series would go. With both Jack Perkins and Jeffrey Springs pitching in the series decider and the series finale, we knew that the bullpen would be in play more often than not. But due to poor management, the bullpen really did not take control of this series as predicted.In the upcoming series vs. the Rangers, these expectations will not be as present. Yes, the bullpen will be used plenty, but we should expect a smaller workload overall. This, in turn, means more quality innings from trustworthy relievers. That, combined with good starting pitching on paper, could mean a clean series win for the Athletics. The Offense Is Still Very Strong Right NowAug 2, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics center fielder Henry Bolte (33) bats against the Detroit Tigers during the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectDespite getting swept, the Athletics offense still showed enough fight to keep the games within striking distance. Over the last 10 games, the Athletics offense has averaged 4.1 runs per game, which, when considering the pitching matchup in this series, should be enough to get the job done. Even though the Athletics would lose the series finale vs. the Orioles, they scored five runs in the first three innings. If this can be even slightly replicated vs. the Rangers, there is more than enough reason to believe that they will be able to hold on to a lead wire-to-wire. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow