First place in the American League West will be on the line when the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers open a four-game series Friday in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers hold a half-game lead over the defending division champion Mariners, who are two games behind streaking Boston in the chase for the AL’s third and final wild-card berth.
“It kind of feels like playoff games in July,” Rangers third baseman Josh Jung said. “The Seattle series this weekend is going to be really big because we haven’t faced them in about two months, and we’re facing all their (top pitchers), so it’ll be a good series.”
The teams met for a pair of series in April.
The host Rangers swept a three-game series from April 6-8, by scores of 2-1, 3-2 and 3-0. The division rivals met again April 17-19 in Seattle, with the Mariners taking two of three games. After the Rangers won the opener 5-0, Seattle bounced back with 7-3 and 5-2 wins.
The Mariners moved back into first place in the AL West earlier in the week, only to surrender their lead the next day.
“You have to keep your foot on the gas pedal, otherwise — look, everyone else wants it as bad as you do,” Rangers outfielder Brandon Nimmo said. ” … We’ll leave no stone unturned. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
Right-hander Bryce Miller (4-4, 2.27 ERA), a native of Mount Pleasant, Texas who attended Texas A&M, is scheduled to start Friday’s opener for the Mariners. The Rangers are set to send left-hander MacKenzie Gore (6-8, 4.80) to the mound.
Miller has lost four of his past five starts despite a 3.18 ERA over that span. He pitched in a 7-0 loss to visiting San Francisco last Friday despite giving up two earned runs (three overall) over 5 2/3 innings, with one walk and six strikeouts.
Miller, who missed the previous two series this season against the Rangers with a left oblique strain, is 0-3 with a 7.06 ERA in five previous starts versus Texas.
Gore is coming off a 7-6 victory at Atlanta on Saturday despite giving up five runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven.
Gore is 2-1 with a 2.35 ERA in four career starts against the Mariners. This will be his third appearance against them this season. He pitched five scoreless innings of one-hit ball and struck out nine in a 3-0 victory on April 8 before taking the loss on April 19 when he allowed five runs in as many innings of a 5-2 defeat.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got another opportunity in Texas,” Mariners pitcher Emerson Hancock said. “You’ve got another chance to go in there, compete as hard as you can and maybe you get on a run from there.”
After their series in Texas, the Mariners will head to Los Angeles to face the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers.
“They’re all big games at this point and this is a big road trip,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said.
–Field Level Media
