The Seattle Mariners go for a second straight win over their AL West rivals, the Texas Rangers, when the two square off in the second of a three-game series on Saturday night. First pitch for this contest is set for 7:05 p.m. ET at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
The Mariners got the win in the series opener, 5-4, continuing a seven-game streak of alternating between wins and losses. Seattle is 18-15 and in second place in the AL West, 1½ games behind the first-place Oakland Athletics.
Texas fell to 16-18 with the loss, which snapped a three-game winning streak. The Rangers are in fourth place in the AL West, two games behind the third-place Houston Astros, and a half-game ahead of the last-place Los Angeles Angels.
If you’re looking to bet on this game, the MLB odds have it as a pick ’em, with both teams holding a moneyline of -105. The over/under for the contest is set at nine runs.
Hoping for Two in a Row
Seattle has been unable to piece wins together, though it is hanging on in the crowded AL West race. The Mariners are a half-game ahead of third-place Houston, as 4½ games separate the five teams in the division.
Right-hander Erik Swanson will be on the mound for the Mariner. He’ll be making his second start and third appearance. The 27-year-old has pitched just four innings total in his two appearances, both against Baltimore.
Swanson’s last outing was a start on Monday, and he went two innings, giving up no hits or runs and striking out three. The Mariners used seven pitchers that day, which is likely in this one as well.
Outfielder Mitch Haniger leads Seattle with eight home runs and 24 RBI. He’s batting .252 with seven doubles and a triple as well as scoring a team-high 21 times. Haniger had an RBI on Friday night as the Mariners bounced back from being no-hit on Wednesday with five runs and 10 hits.
“Finally got the bats going, I thought offensively tonight we were much, much better,” manager Scott Servais said of Friday’s game. “A lot of good things offensively.”
So Close
The Rangers had their second loss in seven games on Friday night, with both setbacks coming by just one run. Texas will turn to 28-year-old Japanese pitcher Kohei Arihara to get it back on the winning track.
The right-hander is 2-3 in his first season in the Major Leagues with a 5.76 ERA. He’s struck out 14 and walked nine in 25 innings over six starts.
Arihara has struggled in his last two outings, both losses. He went two innings against the Chicago White Sox on April 25, allowing five runs and walking four, then lasted just 2 2/3 innings against Boston on April 30, allowing six runs on four hits, all home runs.
Outfielder Adolis Garcia comes in on a six-game hitting streak after going 2-for-4 with an RBI on Friday night. Garcia is batting .269 with a team-high seven home runs and 20 RBI. First baseman Nate Lowe has seven home runs and a team-high 25 RBI, batting .273 after hitting a solo home run on Friday night.
Mariners Take Road Win
Seattle looked much better Friday night than it did on Wednesday, and that should carry over. Arihara has struggled in his last couple of outings, so the Mariners should be able to jump on him for a few runs early on.
Texas needs to get him some early run support, but facing a bullpen game is likely going to make that difficult. The Mariners are going to clinch the series win with a victory.
When doing your MLB betting, go with Seattle to get the road win.
