Mariners at Rangers
Yu Darvish makes his highly anticipated regular-season debut as the Rangers begin a four-game series against a Seattle club that opened with three wins in four games against Oakland. The Mariners split a pair against the A’s in Japan at the end of March before scoring 15 runs en route to two road wins over the weekend. Texas started by taking two of three at home against the White Sox.
Pitching has carried the Rangers — Texas has yielded just six runs, with Matt Harrison and three relievers combining on a 5-0 victory Sunday. The Mariners come in with a .266 batting average. Both teams have been faring well in series openers — Seattle has won the first game in six of its last seven series, while Texas has grabbed the upper hand in 37 of its last 53 series.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports (Seattle), Fox Sports Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Hector Noesi (2011: 2-2, 4.47 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Yu Darvish (2011 in Japan: 19-6, 1.44 ERA)
Noesi was a respectable fill-in pitcher during his rookie year with the New York Yankees, making a couple of spot starts and a few long relief appearances. He faced the Rangers just once, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings last June 16 in his fifth major league game. SS Elvis Andrus is the lone Texas player with a hit against Noesi.
Darvish has been a dominating presence in Japan’s Pacific League, going 93-38 with a 1.99 ERA since beginning his pro career in 2005. He has shown big strikeout potential, fanning 276 in 232 innings last season and punching out 11 Colorado Rockies over six frames in his final spring start March 31. While it remains to be seen whether Darvish can thrive in the majors, the potential is there.
WALK-OFFS:
1. The Rangers were 15-4 against Seattle in 2011, including an 8-1 mark at home. Texas has won the last five meetings overall.
2. Seattle’s Chone Figgins, who hit a paltry .188 last season, is off to a hot start, batting a team-high .412 (7-for-17) over the Mariners’ first four games.
3. Texas has won 36 of its last 51 games against AL West teams dating back to last year, while Seattle has lost 14 of its last 20 division games.