Rangers at Mariners
Despite missing the top-third of their batting order due to injuries and suspensions, the Seattle Mariners haven't skipped a beat in the win column. The Mariners set their sights on their ninth win in 10 tries Monday, when they open of a four-game series against the visiting Texas Rangers.
Seattle played Sunday without usual No. 2 hitter Jean Segura (concussion), leadoff batter Dee Gordon (toe) - who was placed on the disabled list Tuesday - and No. 3 man Robinson Cano - who received an 80-game suspension from Major League Baseball a week earlier for testing positive for a banned substance. The Mariners continued their unlikely surge with Sunday's 3-1 victory over Minnesota, improving to 10-3 since Cano last played. The Rangers were denied their second three-game winning streak of the season and forced to settle for a four-game series split with Kansas City following Sunday's 5-3 loss. The Mariners hold a 3-2 edge in the season series with their American League West rival after taking two of three in Texas in late April and splitting a pair of meetings at home in mid-May.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Doug Fister (1-4, 4.22 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Marco Gonzales (4-3, 4.05)
Fister was fortunate to come away with a no-decision Wednesday versus the New York Yankees after surrendering eight runs - six earned - and 11 hits (three homers) in 4 1/3 innings. The Fresno State product, who is 0-2 despite posting a 1.90 ERA in five road starts, is 0-4 over his last eight turns but has produced two scoreless outings in that span. Kyle Seager and Denard Span are each 8-for-22 against Fister, who is 4-4 with a 5.48 ERA in 10 career games (eight starts) versus Seattle.
Gonzales snapped a three-game winless streak Wednesday in Oakland, earning the victory after yielding only a pair of singles and walking two while fanning six in a career-high seven scoreless frames. The 26-year-old native of Colorado held Detroit to one unearned run across 5 2/3 innings in his previous outing and has given up only seven hits over 12 2/3 frames in his last two turns. Gonzales won his only career start against the Rangers, allowing three runs over five innings on Sept. 12.
WALK-OFFS
1. Eleven of the 13 games the Mariners have played without Cano have been decided by fewer than three runs (9-2).
2. Texas 1B-OF Joey Gallo belted his 15th homer Sunday but struck out at least once for the 10th straight game. He leads the majors with 78 strikeouts this season.
3. Span is expected to make his team debut Monday after being acquired from Tampa Bay on Friday.