Texas @ Seattle preview
T-Mobile Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 10, 2011 ) Seattle 4, Texas 3
THE STORY: Michael Young eclipsed the 100-RBI mark for the second time in his career Thursday as the Texas Rangers increased their lead in the American League West with a triumph over the Cleveland Indians. Texas moved 3 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels with 12 contests remaining as it begins a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners on Friday. Young hit a three-run double in the fifth inning Thursday to raise his RBI total to 101, two shy of his career high set in 2006. It helped give the Rangers their fourth straight win. Seattle has lost 10 of 14.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, TXA-21 (Texas), Root Sports (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH C.J. Wilson (16-6, 3.01 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Blake Beavan (4-5, 4.32 ERA).
Wilson is coming off a pair of masterpieces in which he has allowed just 10 hits over 17 scoreless innings. The 30-year-old notched his career-high 16th win Sunday against the Oakland Athletics as he yielded five singles and struck out 11 over eight frames. Wilson, who is 12-3 in his last 21 starts, has surrendered four earned runs and fanned 21 over 23 innings in winning all three meetings with Seattle this season.
Beavan will be making his 13th career start. The rookie halted a personal three-game losing streak last Friday by allowing three runs over 6 1/3 innings against the Kansas City Royals. Beavan lost to Texas on July 17 despite yielding three runs in 6 2/3 frames.
ABOUT THE MARINERS (62-87): While a team never should be happy about an injury to one of its players, Seattle probably wasn't feeling all that bad that shortstop Brendan Ryan was sidelined Wednesday due to a sore back. Replacement Luis Rodriguez filled the hero role as he doubled twice before belting a walkoff home run in the 12th inning. Justin Smoak's injury woes continued as the first baseman left Wednesday's victory in the fourth inning with a strained groin. Smoak, who has missed time this year with a right thumb injury and a fractured nose and cheekbone, singled in his only at-bat before exiting.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (86-64): Young's double was his 197th hit of the season. The veteran has recorded 200 hits five times in his career, most recently in 2007, when he collected 201. Texas is 22 games over .500 for the first time since 1999. Adrian Beltre homered in the fifth inning to extend his hitting streak to 19 contests. The blast was Beltre's fifth in as many games. The Rangers finished the season 9-1 against Cleveland thanks to the three-game sweep. Texas has won 21 of the 25 series between the teams over the last three campaigns.
FINAL PITCH: Seattle's Steve Delabar has had quite a journey this year. A substitute teacher in Kentucky when the season began, Delabar was signed by the Mariners and made his way up the ranks in the minors before making his major-league debut with a perfect inning against Kansas City on Sunday. The 28-year-old made his second appearance Wednesday versus the New York Yankees and notched the victory after tossing another scoreless frame.