The Rangers travel up to Seattle after dropping two of three in Houston to their in-state rivals. On Sunday they lost 6-1 as they struggled to touch Dallas Keuchel while Matt Moore had to exit after three innings. Their only run came on a solo shot from catcher Carlos Perez.
Seattle have alternated wins and losses throughout May, and last time out on Monday was their time to win in a make-up game against the Twins. The 1-0 win was thanks to a throwing error from Logan Morrison which allowed Dee Gordon to score at the top of the eighth and break the deadlock.
Mike Minor (LHP) Vs Mike Leake (RHP)
Minor's season looks like it has been awful, with his 4.73 ERA in seven starts, but in fact he has just been frustratingly inconsistent and unlucky. He has had some quality outings, including against the likes of Toronto and these Mariners, while getting tagged by the Astros and then giving up homers last time out against the Tigers.
His 1.20 WHIP and good walk rate (2.0 BB/9) suggest he can bring the runs down to earth, as long as he can limit the long ball.
Mike Leake's 2018 has been horrible. He was blasted by the Chicago White Sox of all teams which has hammered his ERA, but at 5.72 it is more than just one start. He has not allowed fewer than two runs in any start, and four or more in three. That, plus a high hit rate and a poor strikeout rate, makes it unlikely to ever really turnaround.
Projected lineups
Rangers Lineup | Home Runs | Batting Average | On-Base Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
DeShields, CF | 2 | .279 | .354 |
Choo, RF | 5 | .245 | .320 |
Mazara, LF | 10 | .284 | .343 |
Beltre, 3B | 1 | .314 | .375 |
Gallo, DH | 12 | .199 | .280 |
Profar, SS | 2 | .235 | .319 |
Odor, 2B | 0 | .195 | .277 |
Guzman, 1B | 2 | .205 | .256 |
Perez, C | 1 | .083 | .083 |
Mariners Lineup | Home Runs | Batting Average | On-Base Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
Gordon, CF | 1 | .327 | .353 |
Segura, SS | 2 | .307 | .328 |
Haniger, RF | 10 | .285 | .373 |
Cruz, DH | 7 | .242 | .316 |
Seager, 3B | 7 | .242 | .302 |
Healy, 1B | 7 | .281 | .312 |
Gamel, LF | 0 | .182 | .274 |
Zunino, C | 6 | .203 | .253 |
Beckham, 2B | 0 | .000 | .000 |
Who's hot, and who's not
The Texas lineup is not exactly firing right now. Only Delino DeShields and Nomar Mazara are seeing serious at-bats and hitting over .300 in the last two weeks. Mazara has been on fire power-wise, mashing seven homers and picking up 14 RBI to help the offense keep its head above water.
Unfortunately, there are too many that are struggling. Robinson Chirinos, Ronald Guzman, Rougned Odor, and Joey Gallo are all hitting below .200 in the last two weeks, though Gallo's power is still coming through, with four homers.
For the Mariners, their best hitter, Robinson Cano, is now on the shelf for a while with a broken hand, the result is that the likes of Dee Gordon and Ryon Healy are going to have to pick up the slack. Those two are hitting over .333 for the last two weeks, with Healy hammering four homers, while Mitch Haniger's hot start has cooled off and Nelson Cruz is struggling as well.
Prediction
This is tough. How the Mariners offense functions without Cano is a total unknown, but Mike Leake's production is known, and it is a serious worry. The Rangers are a nice lineup for him to face, due to their own issue with consistency. Texas are just 24th in runs scored, and their team slash line ranks 27th/29th/23rd. If Seattle can adjust to the loss of Cano quickly then they should be able to cover the gap today, but don't be surprised if the Rangers pummel Leake and pick up the win.
Channel info
The game will be broadcast live on FSSW and RSNW, and streamed live as the free game of the day on MLB.tv for out of market viewers. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm PT/10:10pm ET.
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