The Rangers have to go on the road for this one but they have their ace on the mound Friday, which will definitely give them a boost. Texas would love to steal a series victory on the road while Seattle needs to defend their home field after a it of a slow start.
These two teams could be in the playoff race as the season goes on but both need to pick it up.
This series will be contested from Friday, May 5 through Sunday, May 7, 2017 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington.
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Pitching Matchups
The Rangers will start the series with Yu Darvish on the mound Friday. He has one of the finest collection of pitches in the majors and is 3-2 with a 3.03 ERA on the season. He has a 1.06 WHIP and has registered 41 strikeouts in 38.2 innings pitched. Yovani Gallardo will get the start on Friday for the Mariners and will hope to post a strong outing. He is 1-3 on the year with a 5.08 ERA.
Lefty Martin Perez will be the Rangers’ starter on Saturday. Perez is 1-4 on the season with a 4.26 ERA and a 1.83 WHIP. Perez has nearly as many walks as strikeouts this season, and if that continues his ERA is going to go even higher. He faces off against Chase De Jong, who is 0-2 with a 11.05 ERA.
If the Mariners can get a split over the first two games they will feel good about their chances to win the series because they are sending James Paxton to the hill on Sunday. He is 3-0 on the season with a sparkling 1.43 ERA. Paxton has been dominant this year and the Rangers hope to solve him. Texas will send out Andrew Cashner, who is 0-3 with a 2.95 ERA. Cashner is oft-injured but talented when he is on the mound.
Slow Start
After winning 95 games last season, the Rangers are currently in last place in the American League West. Injuries certainly haven’t helped Texas so far this season with the team currently playing without star pitcher Cole Hamels and third baseman Adrian Beltre.
The Rangers hope to have Beltre, who has been out since the start of the season with a calf injury, back by the end of the month. His return will be a big boost on both sides of the ball.
Unlike the Blue Jays, who occupy the last spot in the American League East right now and have dimmer prospects, there is still plenty of time and reason to believe the Rangers can turn things around, especially considering all the young talent they have this season. This series would be a good place to start.
Player to Watch
Jean Segura -- Seattle’s leadoff hitter is back from injury and playing like he’s full-strength. In Wednesday’s 8-7 win over the Angels, the 27-year-old finished went 2-for-5 at the plate including a home run and four RBIs.
Segura’s had at least one hit in seven of his eight games back from injury and has also accumulated nine RBIs and two home runs in that span. His speed and baserunning skills are a big asset to the Mariners offense as well.
Segura is batting .314 on the season and has a .342 on base percentage. He had a great season with Arizona last year and while equaling that production might be tough, he’s certainly playing well early and is a spark atop the order.
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