Texas @ Seattle preview
T-Mobile Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 16, 2011 ) Texas 5, Seattle 1
THE STORY: The Texas Rangers look to extend their winning streak to 11 contests and complete a four-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners when the two teams wrap up their set on Sunday. The Rangers last won 11 games in June 2010 and are 7-2 against Seattle this season after recording a 5-1 victory on Saturday. The Mariners have lost a season-high eight straight games and have scored just 10 runs during the skid. Texas has a three-game lead in the American League West over the Los Angeles Angels. Seattle is a season-worst 10 1/2 games out of first.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FSH (Texas), ROOT (Seattle).
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Matt Harrison (7-7, 3.04 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Blake Beavan (1-0, 2.02 ERA)
Harrison pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings against the Oakland Athletics while winning his last start. He gave up six hits, one walk and struck out seven. Harrison has been consistent, allowing three or fewer earned runs in 14 of 17 starts. He has a 2-1 record and 3.19 ERA in nine career appearances - five starts - against Seattle. Ichiro Suzuki is batting .222 in 18 career at-bats against Harrison.
Beavan has performed well in his first major-league starts, defeating the San Diego Padres in his debut and receiving a no-decision against the Angels on July 8. He has allowed just three runs and nine hits in 13 1/3 innings. The Rangers selected Beaven in the first round of the 2007 draft and shipped him to the Mariners last July in the package to acquire Cliff Lee.
ABOUT THE MARINERS (43-51): Seattle’s previous longest losing streak of the season was seven games in April. The Mariners last lost eight games in 2010. Ichiro had a run-scoring single in the fifth inning to end the Mariners’ franchise-worst 30-inning scoring drought. He is batting just .125 (4-for-32) during Seattle’s eight-game losing skid. Ichiro is 1-for-12 in the series against Texas. Justin Smoak was hitless in three at-bats and is now 5-for-62 since June 23. Rookie second baseman Dustin Ackley went 1-for-4 and has had at least one hit in 19 of his first 23 major-league games. Rookie third baseman Kyle Seager hasn’t had the same quick adjustment period. He is hitting .111 over his first six games.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (54-41): Texas is 11-2 in July. Ian Kinsler hit two homers on Saturday and extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Kinsler led off the game with a homer for a major-league high fifth time this season. The multi-homer game was the ninth of his career. Josh Hamilton had an RBI and now has 45 in 46 games since coming off the disabled list with an arm injury. Hamilton is expected to start Sunday’s game despite hitting just .107 in day games this season. He has struck out 23 times and hasn’t homered in 56 at-bats. Michael Young is batting .360 with nine RBIs in July. Elvis Andrus and Endy Chavez each had three hits on Saturday. Andrus is 15-for-30 over the last eight games. The Rangers have hit 15 homers during their 10-game winning streak.
FINAL PITCH: Texas went 33 innings without allowing a run until Seattle scored in the fifth inning. The streak tied for second-longest in franchise history. The Rangers posted three consecutive shutouts before allowing just one run on Saturday.