GAME: Seattle Mariners (33-36) at Texas Rangers (33-33)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, June 17 - 5:05 PM EST
WHERE: Globe Life Park in Arlington, Arlington, Texas
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
The Texas Rangers' season has been marred by inconsistency, although one constant has been an inability to enjoy much success against the Seattle Mariners prior to Friday. After halting their recent struggles against the Mariners to get back to .500 in the opener, the Rangers eye their seventh win in eight contests overall Saturday when they continue a three-game set against their American League West rival in Texas.
Since May 9, the Rangers (33-33) have posted a 10-game winning streak, immediately followed by a 4-12 stretch before they went 5-1 during a six-game road trip against division leaders Washington and Houston leading into this series. Texas mustered a total of 16 runs while losing five of its first six meetings to Seattle, but Carlos Gomez put an emphatic end to those struggles with a season-high four RBIs in Friday's 10-4 series-opening rout - his first game back since missing over a month recovering from a hamstring injury. Seattle won nine of 10 to get back to the break-even mark on June 7 after falling a season-low eight games under .500, but it is only 3-6 since. Mariners rookie Ben Gamel went 1-for-2 and scored three times Friday to continue his blistering offensive pace during his eight-game hitting streak - a stretch during which he is batting .500 with six multi-hit games and 10 runs scored.
TV: 5:05 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), FSN Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Yovani Gallardo (3-6, 6.11 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Martin Perez (2-6, 4.56)
Gallardo enjoyed a rare quality start - his fourth in 13 turns - Monday in Minnesota, earning his first win in nearly a month after yielding three runs over six innings. The outing halted a two-game stretch in which the 31-year-old had surrendered 10 runs, 12 hits (three homers) and five walks over 10 innings and lowered his marks in three June starts to 1-1 with a 7.31 ERA. Gallardo settled for a no-decision versus the Rangers on May 5 despite permitting one run and four hits in six frames.
Perez watched his winless streak extended to four outings following last Saturday's no-decision in Washington, yielding two runs on seven hits while fanning five across five innings. The 26-year-old Venezuelan was tagged for 11 runs (10 earned) and 16 hits (four home runs) over only 8 2/3 frames in his last turns at home. Kyle Seager is 16-for-35 with four homers and Nelson Cruz is 7-for-15 with three blasts against Perez, who is 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA in his five career home starts against Seattle.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rangers went deep twice Friday to extend their streak with at least one home run to 10 games. However, they have hit two or fewer homers in 32 straight - the longest active streak in the majors.
2. Seattle is the only team in the majors with two rookies hitting at least .325 - Gamel (.347) and RF Mitch Haniger (.327).
3. Texas LHP Cole Hamels (oblique) allowed one hit and struck out three over as many innings in his first rehab start with Double-A Frisco on Friday.
PREDICTION: Rangers 8, Mariners 3
DATE/TIME: Saturday, June 17 - 5:05 PM EST
WHERE: Globe Life Park in Arlington, Arlington, Texas
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
The Texas Rangers' season has been marred by inconsistency, although one constant has been an inability to enjoy much success against the Seattle Mariners prior to Friday. After halting their recent struggles against the Mariners to get back to .500 in the opener, the Rangers eye their seventh win in eight contests overall Saturday when they continue a three-game set against their American League West rival in Texas.
Since May 9, the Rangers (33-33) have posted a 10-game winning streak, immediately followed by a 4-12 stretch before they went 5-1 during a six-game road trip against division leaders Washington and Houston leading into this series. Texas mustered a total of 16 runs while losing five of its first six meetings to Seattle, but Carlos Gomez put an emphatic end to those struggles with a season-high four RBIs in Friday's 10-4 series-opening rout - his first game back since missing over a month recovering from a hamstring injury. Seattle won nine of 10 to get back to the break-even mark on June 7 after falling a season-low eight games under .500, but it is only 3-6 since. Mariners rookie Ben Gamel went 1-for-2 and scored three times Friday to continue his blistering offensive pace during his eight-game hitting streak - a stretch during which he is batting .500 with six multi-hit games and 10 runs scored.
TV: 5:05 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), FSN Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Yovani Gallardo (3-6, 6.11 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Martin Perez (2-6, 4.56)
Gallardo enjoyed a rare quality start - his fourth in 13 turns - Monday in Minnesota, earning his first win in nearly a month after yielding three runs over six innings. The outing halted a two-game stretch in which the 31-year-old had surrendered 10 runs, 12 hits (three homers) and five walks over 10 innings and lowered his marks in three June starts to 1-1 with a 7.31 ERA. Gallardo settled for a no-decision versus the Rangers on May 5 despite permitting one run and four hits in six frames.
Perez watched his winless streak extended to four outings following last Saturday's no-decision in Washington, yielding two runs on seven hits while fanning five across five innings. The 26-year-old Venezuelan was tagged for 11 runs (10 earned) and 16 hits (four home runs) over only 8 2/3 frames in his last turns at home. Kyle Seager is 16-for-35 with four homers and Nelson Cruz is 7-for-15 with three blasts against Perez, who is 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA in his five career home starts against Seattle.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rangers went deep twice Friday to extend their streak with at least one home run to 10 games. However, they have hit two or fewer homers in 32 straight - the longest active streak in the majors.
2. Seattle is the only team in the majors with two rookies hitting at least .325 - Gamel (.347) and RF Mitch Haniger (.327).
3. Texas LHP Cole Hamels (oblique) allowed one hit and struck out three over as many innings in his first rehab start with Double-A Frisco on Friday.
PREDICTION: Rangers 8, Mariners 3