The Oakland Athletics, clinging for dear life in the playoff race, will turn to Frankie Montas to give the team a lift Friday against the AL West-leading Houston Astros.

Montas has allowed three runs or fewer in 17 of his last 19 starts and the A’s are 4-1 in his last five starts. The righty has done his best pitching in the second half of the season, with a 2.40 ERA and five home runs allowed in 86 ¹/₃ innings in 14 starts since the beginning of July.

Astros starter Zack Greinke, whose past accomplishments are gaudier than those of Montas, enters having allowed 19 runs and five home runs in his last three starts, across 13 innings. He has given up at least three runs in four of his last six starts on the road.

Houston entered Thursday having allowed at least five runs in four of its previous five games, all versus the sub-.500 Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels. The Astros are 2-6 in Greinke’s last eight starts and the Athletics have allowed four runs or fewer in six of their previous seven games, so Oakland will aid its slim playoff hopes with a win on Friday.

The play: Athletics, -105.