Rangers at Mariners
Rougned Odor has gotten off to a frigid start after last season's breakthrough 33-homer performance but is hoping his heroics in the series opener will ignite his bat. The Texas Rangers look to beat the host Seattle Mariners for a second straight night on Saturday after Odor's two-run blast in the 13th inning provided Texas with a 3-1 win.
Odor is batting just .195 this season and was retired in each of his first five at-bats on Friday before sending the decisive shot - his sixth of the campaign - into the right-center field bleachers. The victory was second in a row for the Rangers following a season-worst four-game skid. Seattle recorded 11 hits, with its lone run coming on a homer by Robinson Cano after it registered 19 in back-to-back victories. Nelson Cruz, who is 6-for-12 with three homers against scheduled starter Martin Perez, notched two hits in the opener and is 24-for-54 with five homers and 19 RBIs during his 14-game hitting streak.
TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), ROOT (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Martin Perez (1-4, 4.26 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Chase De Jong (0-2, 11.05)
Perez has dropped three straight starts, allowing 11 runs, 21 hits and eight walks in 15 1/3 innings during that stretch. The 26-year-old's lone victory came against Oakland on April 9. He did not factor in the decision against the Mariners on April 14, when he gave up one run and six hits in five innings, and is 5-2 with a 3.06 ERA in 13 career appearances (11 starts) against Seattle while getting hit hard by Kyle Seager (14-for-32, four homers) and Danny Valencia (6-for-16, one homer) in addition to Cruz.
De Jong, who temporarily is in the rotation with ace Felix Hernandez on the disabled list, is making his second major-league start. The first one didn't go too well as Cleveland hammered the 23-year-old for six runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings on Sunday. De Jong was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in March in a deal for infielder Drew Jackson and right-hander Aneurys Zabala.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Mariners placed LHP James Paxton (forearm strain) on the 10-day disabled list, optioned C Mike Zunino and OF Boog Powell to Triple-A Tacoma and recalled RHP Evan Marshall, C Tuffy Gosewisch and INF Mike Freeman from the same club.
2. Texas 1B Mike Napoli was hitless in five at-bats on Friday and is 5-for-39 over his last 10 games.
3. Seattle SS Jean Segura recorded three hits in the opener and is 7-for-14 over his last three contests.