This Saturday the (48-42) Seattle Mariners and the (41-46) Texas Rangers will play game three of this four-game series. The first pitch will be thrown out at 4:05 PM EST inside Globe Life Field. This is also the third series between these two teams this season, as both teams have won one.
The Seattle Mariners are coming into this one after sweeping the Washington Nationals in their previous series. The Mariners dominated Washington on the mound and in the field, as they only allowed five combined earned runs in two games. They have also won 11 straight games coming into this one.
The Texas Rangers are entering this one after winning their previous series against the Oakland Athletics. The Rangers won two of three games, as they looked great at the plate. They scored 15 combined runs in the two games that they won. They will need their bats to stay on fire if they want to challenge the red-hot Ma riners.
This game was written/published before last night's results.
The Seattle Mariners are currently in second place in the AL East, as they are only 11.0 games back from the Houston Astros. That's despite winning 11 straight games, as they are extremely tough to beat right now. At the plate, they are scoring 4.15 runs per game and they are hitting .235. This is the 24th most runs scored per game and the 24th highest overall team batting average. They have hit the ball better over the past two weeks, though. They are averaging 5.09 runs per game in their last 10. They have also shown that they aren't one-dimensional at the plate. They have more home run power littered throughout their lineup than they originally thought. Seattle is averaging 1.12 bombs per game, which is the 13th highest average in the MLB. They are scoring multiple different ways, as the home run ball has helped them over this run. I also expect the Mariners to stay fairly aggressive once they have reached base safely. They have already stolen 49 bases this season, which is the 16th most in the league. They will do whatever it takes to put men in scoring position, as they have been driving in runs left and right over the last 10.
In the field, they are also very solid. They have the highest overall team fielding percentage, as they are completing .990% of their plays in the field. They are also allowing 3.85 runs per game, which is the fourth least amount of runs allowed per game. They are keeping their opponents off the scoreboard and making it difficult to score. The Mariners are also cutting down on their mistakes, as they have only made 31 fielding errors this season. This is the least amount of errors recorded, as Seattle has been one of the top defensive teams all season.
According to MLB.com, Logan Gilbert will be getting the start on the mound. He has started this season (10-3) with a 2.80 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He was slightly banged up in his last start, as he pitched for 6.0 innings and allowed four earned runs against the Blue Jays. He has also been a beast on the road this season, as he is (6-1) with a 2.47 ERA.
Injury List: SS J.P. Crawford is listed as out with a finger injury. Kyle Lewis (Concussion) and Mitch Haniger (Ankle) are listed as out. Tom Murphy (Shoulder) is also out for the season.