(Best E Casino) - The Texas Rangers close out their 2008 home schedule with this afternoon's rubber match of a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics from Rangers Ballpark at Arlington.

Texas, which is 39-41 on its home grounds so far this year, moved a half-game in front of the Athletics for second place in the American League's West Division with Tuesday's 6-4 triumph. Hank Blalock continued his torrid recent hitting by belting a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning that snapped a 4-4 tie.

Blalock finished 2-for-3 and scored twice and is now batting .571 (12-for-21) with three homers, nine RBI and seven runs scored during a five-game hitting streak. The first baseman has gone deep in each of Texas' last three contests.

Marlon Byrd also drove in a pair of runs to help the Rangers halt a five-game slide, while Milton Bradley went 3-for-3 with an RBI single on the evening.

Jamey Wright (8-7) got the win after recording the final two outs of the top of the seventh, with Frank Francisco notching his fifth save with a perfect ninth.

Travis Buck had a two-run homer and Jack Cust added a solo shot for Oakland, which had won four in a row and eight of its last nine coming in.

Alan Embree (2-5) served up Blalock's tie-breaking blast and allowed three runs in the seventh inning to suffer the loss. Josh Outman worked the first six frames for the A's and held Texas to three runs on 10 hits.

Rookie Matt Harrison gets the call for the Rangers in the home finale and will be attempting to maintain his success versus Oakland this season. The young left-hander has won both of his 2008 starts against the Athletics and yielded just three runs -- one earned -- in 14 innings over those two games.

Harrison tossed a five-hitter against Oakland for his first career shutout on September 12 at McAfee Coliseum, but he couldn't carry over that momentum into his next start. Against the Angels on Friday, the 23-year-old was rocked for seven runs and nine hits -- including three homers -- in just three innings of a no-decision.

Oakland counters with fellow southpaw Dana Eveland, who snapped a string of four straight no-decisions with a home victory over Seattle on Friday. The 24- year-old fired seven shutout innings against the Mariners and scattered seven hits while striking out seven without a walk.

Eveland faced the Rangers at the Coliseum prior to that start and surrendered three runs in a five-inning no-decision on September 14. He is 0-1 with a 6.32 earned run average over three career matchups with Texas, all of which have taken place this year.

Texas has won 11 of the 18 meetings between these divisional foes this season, including five of the eight tests held in Arlington. Oakland is just 6-11 at Rangers Ballpark over the past two years.