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The Rangers continue their second leg of their first road trip of their 14 games to begin the regular season without an off day in Seattle to play the Mariners for the second time already in 2016.
After the Mariners chumped the Rangers in the season-opening series in Arlington in which Seattle outscored Texas 21-10 (not to mention out-dingered them 9 to 1) and if not for a weird inning where the Rangers scored three runs on their only hit of the game in the season opener, they likely would have been swept.
So, man, the Mariners must be real good. Not so fast. They're still the Mariners. Seattle traveled home to crack open Safeco only to get swept by an Oakland team that came in fresh off losing three of four to the Chicago White Sox in Oakland in their first series.
You can take comfort in the fact that baseball is confusing and we don't know anything ever.
Series Schedule:
Monday, April 11 9:10 pm: RHP Colby Lewis vs RHP Hisashi Iwakuma
Tuesday, April 12 9:10 pm: LHP Derek Holland vs LHP Wade Miley
Wednesday, April 13 2:40 pm: RHP A.J. Griffin vs RHP Taijuan Walker
Seattle Strengths:
They employ Kyle Seager often against the Texas Rangers.
Seattle Weaknesses:
When not in Arlington, the Mariners have trouble hitting game-changing home runs because Safeco is where flyballs go to die. Kyle Seager, however, is immune.
Also, despite King Felix Hernandez being the only pitcher the Rangers beat last week in the season-opener, the Rangers are fairly lucky to avoid the big right-hander in this series. After all, it seemed like the Rangers faced Felix once per week last year and he dominated them.
After years of being the one team who routinely beat up on Felix, I feel like Felix made a pact with the Baseball Gods to siphon a little bit of his overall brilliance in order to be able to finally best the Rangers. That would explain why Felix had a not-as-Felix-y 2.8 fWAR season last year but went undefeated against Texas.
Go Rangers!
Seattle Mariners (2-4, t-5th Place in AL West)
Rangers' 2016 Record vs. Seattle: 1-2
Seattle's Recent Results: 0-3 swept by the Oakland A's in their home opening series
Seattle's 2016 Home Record: 0-3
Safeco Field Park Factors (LHB/RHB): HR: 104/92 - Runs: 86/93
SB Nation Mariners Blog: Lookout Landing
| Match-up: (as of 04/11) | Rangers | Mariners | Advantage |
| Batting (RAR) | -8.3 (26th) | 4.5 (8th) | D: |
| Base Running (RAR) | -0.5 (23rd) | -1.1 (29th) | ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ |
| Starters (RAR) | -0.4 | 3.0 | :( |
| Bullpen (RAR) | -3.5 (27th) | 0.2 (19th) | ;_; |
| Defense (UZR) | 0.0 (1st) | 0.0 (30th) | ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ |
| Overall (UZR + RAR) | -12.7 | 6.6 | ;_; ;_; ;_; |
Questions to Answer:
- Yay or Nay: The Rangers finish with an above .500 record against the Seattle Mariners in 2016?
- Who is your Return of the McLemore Approved Player to Watch in this series? (NOMAR'S COMIN')
- Over/Under: 6.5 XBHs by the Bane of Rangers Seager/Cano/Cruz trio in this series?
- What's your guess for line (IP/H/K/BB/ER) by A.J. Griffin now that he has one start under his belt?
- Will you be alive the first time the Seattle Mariners make it to the World Series?