Seattle @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 18, 2015 ) Seattle 3, Texas 1

The Texas Rangers found it difficult to keep the momentum going and dropped the opener to the Seattle Mariners on Friday after a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros lifted them into the top spot in the American League West. The Rangers will try to regain that momentum when they host the Mariners in the second of a three-game series on Saturday.

Texas managed to hold its ground in the AL West thanks to Houston’s loss against Oakland and owns a 2 1/2-game lead in the division with just over two weeks remaining in the regular season. The Rangers averaged nine runs during a five-game winning streak before falling 3-1 on Friday. Seattle was out of the race weeks ago but is not rolling over for anyone and has already taken a series from the Astros, split a four-game series with Texas and won two of three against the wild-card hopeful Los Angeles Angels this month. The Mariners, who send Vidal Nuno to the mound against Cole Hamels on Saturday, will play a role in the West with two more games at the Rangers, three at Los Angeles and three more against Houston the rest of the way.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), TXA-21 (Texas)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Vidal Nuno (1-3, 2.94 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Cole Hamels (9-8, 3.76)

Nuno’s streak of 20 starts without a win came to an end against Texas on Sept. 9, when he allowed one hit over seven scoreless frames and struck out 10. The veteran swingman moved back to the bullpen and recorded two outs against Colorado on Sunday but is stepping up to make another spot start against the Rangers. Nuno has yielded nine home runs and is allowing opponents an .864 OPS in his six starts.

Hamels is 3-0 in his last six starts and held the Astros to three runs on seven hits and a walk in seven innings on Monday. The former Phillies standout posted five quality starts in those last six turns while yielding one home run. Hamels’ lone outing that did not count as a quality start in that span came at Seattle on Sept. 8, when he was charged with four runs on eight hits in seven innings but came away with the win.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rangers OF Josh Hamilton (knee) appeared as a pinch hitter on Friday and is expected to be limited to that role for the near future.

2. Texas RF Shin-Soo Choo is 10-for-13 with five runs scored in the last three games.

3. Seattle SS Ketel Marte is 6-for-12 in his last three games.

PREDICTION: Rangers 8, Mariners 4