Felix Hernandez (16-8, 3.65 ERA) and Derek Holland (3-1, 2.37 ERA) start in the last of a four-game series between the Seattle Mariners (67-73) and the Texas Rangers (73-65) at Safeco Field. The Mariners won the last game 6-0 and Texas leads the series 2-1. Action begins at 3:40 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sep. 10 and can be seen on RTNW and FSSW.
Hernandez pitched 8.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering three runs and striking out nine in an 8-3 win over the Athletics. Nelson Cruz (.310, 77 Rs, 39 HRs, 82 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday. Holland went 8.0 innings, surrendering one run, striking out five and walking two in a 2-1 win over the Angels in his last outing. Mitch Moreland (.287, 42 Rs, 19 HRs, 69 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 5 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI.
Seattle is a -141 favorite against Texas and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at seven runs. The Mariners have an overall money line of -1,388 and a record as the favorite of 39-42. Seattle is an impressive 3-1 as the favorite over its last 10 games. The Mariners have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 5.8 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.0 runs per game.
In games where it is the underdog, Texas has a 56-52 record and an overall money line of +2,551. They have played poorly as the underdog with an 18-27 record against AL West foes, and a 7-3 record SU. Offensively, they average 4.4 runs per game, which is good for fifth in the AL. Texas is excellent at drawing walks with 3.0 per game, ranking fifth in the AL. Texas’s pitching staff is one of the top in the AL at pitching on the road, with a 4.04 ERA.
The Mariners lead the season series, 9-6. The Mariners have an 18-27 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Holland takes the mound. Hernandez (RHP) will be on the hill against the Rangers, who have a 49-39 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Sea, O/U – Over
Notes
Seattle earned its 10th shutout of the season in its last game. Texas has been shut out nine times this season.
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the Mariners are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Rangers have an 8-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
It looks like the Rangers have a slight leg up on the Mariners, as the Rangers have won their last two games while the Mariners have lost their last two.
When they outhit their opponents, the Mariners are 41-20. The Rangers have a 53-9 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 22nd, Seattle is near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 555 this season. Texas ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 603.
Seattle and Texas both rank in the top half of the league in walks. Seattle sits at 12th with 407 this season and Texas ranks 14th with 405.
The Mariners are 56-42 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Rangers are 54-26 when they hit at least one homer.
