The Texas Rangers (20-13) take their MLB-best lineup on the road to face the Seattle Mariners (17-17) at T-Mobile Park on Monday for the opener of a three-game series.
The Rangers are in the midst of a 10-game road trip. They won two out of three in their last series against the Angels, taking the finale 16-8 on Sunday at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Adolis Garcia was 3 for 4 with a home run and a double.
He scored two runs and had three RBIs. Leody Taveras went 4 for 5 with a double, two runs, and four RBIs. The Mariners are in the midst of a six-game homestand. They won two of three against the Astros in their last series, taking the finale 3-1 on Sunday at T-Mobile Park. Julio Rodriguez went 1 for 4 with a solo home run.
The teams are meeting for the first time this season. The Mariners dominated the 2022 season series between the AL West rivals (14-5), including two out of three in their most recent meeting at T-Mobile Park in September.
ON THE MOUND
Jon Gray (1-1, 4.40 ERA) is slated for the start for Texas. The right-hander allowed four runs over 5.1 innings in his last start, a 6-4 road win over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
He yielded eight hits while striking out two and walking one in the no-decision.Over three starts against the Mariners in 2022, Gray was 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA over 16.1 innings. He had 17 strikeouts and eight walks.
Logan Gilbert (1-1, 4.23 ERA) takes the mound for Seattle. Gilbert made four appearances against the Rangers in 2022, all starts, striking out 20 and walking five over 23.2 innings (1-0, 1.90).
In his last start on Wednesday, Gilbert took a no-decision on the road against the Athletics. He threw six innings and gave up two runs on three hits, striking out six and walking two in the 7-2 win.
AT THE PLATE
The Texas offense is averaging 6.7 runs per game for the season, best in MLB, with a slash line of .264/.342/.445. Jonah Heim leads the team in OPS at .942. The first baseman is slashing .305/.374/.568 with six home runs, 26 RBIs, and 22 runs over 28 games.
Over the last five games, however, Texas has averaged 8.6 runs a game while performing better across the board (.316/.382/.500). Against righties like Gilbert this season, the Rangers have a .788 OPS, fifth highest in the league.
Marcus Semien is the team’s most productive hitter against right-handers with a .951 OPS in 91 at-bats. Seattle is slashing .222/.302/.374 for the season and averaging 4.4 runs per game. Jarred Kelenic leads the team with a .933 OPS.
The right fielder has seven home runs, 16 RBIs, and 15 runs scored with a slash line of .300/.361/.573. The M’s have a .693 OPS against right-handers in 2023. With a .889 OPS over 85 at-bats, Kelenic also has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Texas is 8-7 in away games in 2023, scoring 6.7 runs per game while allowing 4.2 runs. Seattle has gone 9-10 at home this season, averaging 4.3 runs per game while surrendering 4.1. In the last 10 games at T-Mobile Park between the teams, Seattle is 8-2 with an average scoreline of 4.5-3.7.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Rangers lead the AL West by one games over the Angels. The Mariners are fourth in the AL West, three games behind the Rangers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Seattle Mariners (-165)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
