Mariners at Rangers
Adrian Beltre’s return to form has coincided directly with the Texas Rangers’ recent surge in the standings, and the veteran slugger will try to help his team to another series win when they host the Seattle Mariners in the rubber match of a three-game set Sunday. Beltre and the Rangers own a 2 1/2-game over the Houston Astros in the National League West.
Beltre was 5-for-39 as Texas went 5-5 and languished behind the Astros in the West from Aug. 31-Sep. 10, but the four-time All-Star has turned things around by going 18-for-35 with 12 RBIs in the last nine contests. The Rangers are 7-2 in those nine games, including a four-game sweep of Houston, and Beltre posted three of those RBIs to help lead his team to a 10-1 victory Saturday. Beltre is 11-for-43 with a home run and two RBIs in his career against Felix Hernandez, who takes the mound for the Mariners on Sunday opposite Derek Holland. Seattle is attempting to improve to 5-0-1 in its last six series against division opponents with a win on Sunday.
TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), FSN Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (17-9, 3.55 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Derek Holland (3-2, 3.77)
Hernandez still has a shot at his first 20-win season but had a string of three straight wins come to an end when he was reached for four runs on five hits – two home runs – in seven innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. The Venezuelan allowed a total of five earned runs in 24 innings over his previous three turns. The best of that bunch came against Texas on Sept. 10, when Hernandez scattered three hits over eight scoreless innings.
Holland put up his worst start since returning to the rotation last month when he was reached for five runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings against Houston on Tuesday. The 28-year-old has allowed 10 runs in 12 2/3 innings over his last two starts, including a loss while going up against Hernandez on Sept. 10. Holland is 10-3 with a 3.16 ERA in 20 career games – 16 starts – against Seattle.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rangers RF Shin-Soo Choo is 12-for-16 with six runs scored in the last four games.
2. Seattle rookie SS Ketel Marte is 8-for-16 over the last four games.
3. Texas has outscored its opponents 56-21 over the last seven games.