A's Host Rockies, Arenado

(AP) -- There's hasn't been a whole lot for the Colorado Rockies and Oakland Athletics to feel good about this season.

At least a young player for each team is making each gamea little more exciting.

Nolan Arenado looks to extend a pair of impressive streaks for the Rockies, while Athletics rookie Billy Burns brings one of his own into Monday night's matchup in Oakland.

Colorado (33-42) appears headed for a fifth consecutive losing season, sitting last in the NL West with one of the majors' worst records. Pitching is again a huge issue for the Rockies, who rank last in baseball with a 4.94 ERA and have received only five quality starts in the past 18 games.

The offense, however, seems to be in very good hands with Arenado leading the way for a team that leads the NL in runs (344) and is tied for the best batting average (.270).

After two solid years, Arenado is putting together a breakout season that should put him in the conversation with the best third basemen in the game.

He homered twice in Sunday's 6-3 loss at San Francisco, giving him a career-high 24 this season and eight in his last seven games. Arenado is batting .379 with 21 RBIs during a 15-game hitting streak and set a franchise record for consecutive games (12) with at least one hit and one run scored.

His three RBIs Sunday gave him a major league-leading 68. Thirty-three have come 33 in June, seven more than any other player this month.

"Every time I get a ball up in the zone lately, I've been hitting them," Arenado said. "I've been sticking with a plan and it's been going good. I'll stick with that."

Oakland (34-44) can empathize with Colorado, also last in its division with a double-digit deficit to first-place Houston. The Athletics appeared to be turning a corner with nine wins in 11 games, but they scored seven runs while being swept in a three-game set by Kansas City.

"We were playing really good ball lately and this happens," said rookie third baseman Max Muncy, who made a key error in Sunday's 5-3 loss.

Burns returned to the lineup Sunday after missing two games with a hip flexor. His leadoff single sparked a two-run third inning and extended his hitting streak to 16 games in which he's batting .365.

Burns is one away from tying the Oakland rookie hitting streak record of 17 games shared by Mike Edwards (1978), Luis Polonia (1987) and Terrence Long (2000).

The A's will try to avoid their second four-game skid this month behind resurgent Kendall Graveman (4-4, 3.86 ERA). Since he was recalled from the minors in late May, the rookie right-hander has gone 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA in seven starts after he posted an 8.27 ERA in his first four.

He regrouped from two straight tough-luck losses with another strong performance Wednesday in an 8-2 victory at Texas. Spotted a five-run lead before he even took the mound, Graveman limited the Rangers to two runs over seven-plus innings.

"It's the guy we saw in spring training, he just needed a little break after a few starts, and went down there and made use of his time," manager Bob Melvin said.

The Rockies have lost 18 of 20 interleague games, including all six this season, and will send struggling David Hale (2-2, 5.86) to the mound Monday.

The right-hander is 0-2 with an 8.04 ERA in his last three outings after going 2-0 with a 4.12 mark in his first three. He lasted a season-low 4 2-3 innings Wednesday against Arizona and allowed five runs, eight hits and three walks before leaving without a decision in an 8-7 loss.

Hale is 0-2 with a 10.32 ERA in seven interleague games, including one start.

Updated June 28, 2015