Texas Rangers (16-14) at Seattle Mariners (14-16) Preview Game 2

The Rangers bullpen woes keep continuing. The bullpen seems to have trouble sticking the ball in right place across the plate to keep the batters from hitting…resulting in late victories for the opposing teams. That’s exactly what happened last night. If you haven’t already read our recap for last night’s game then please do so.

The Rangers started this season off so well and while the season is still very early, they are struggling. Thankfully, though, Neftali Feliz is rehabbing in AA Frisco today and targets to return to the club on Friday, when he is eligible, and be available for Friday’s game in New York – and boy, do the Rangers ever need him! Those late game runs are killing Texas.

Tonight’s game is another late one so for those of you who won’t stay up late to catch the entire game, be sure to check back for our recap. Until then, here’s the pitching matchups and more for tonight’s game against the Mariners.

Pitching Matchups

The Rangers put their ace C.J. Wilson on the mound. The left-hander is 3-1 with an earned run average of 3.35 over six starts and has 34 total strikeouts. Last time out, the 30-year-old He lowered his ERA that time out – 3.72 to 3.35. He allowed three runs – two earned – on nine hits doing well enough to win the game but his team let him down. The offense and defense simply weren’t there and got Wilson the loss for the game. Let’s hope they have things in order tonight and can back him up.

Last time against Seattle, he allowed three runs on six hits over seven innings in which he struck out two and walked two ending in a win for the Rangers. He has seven starts against Seattle and is 5-2 but has never won at Safeco as a starter. He had three starts there last year and went 0-1 with a 3.50 ERA allowing seven earned runs over 18 innings.

The Mariners counter with Michael Pineda. He is 4-1 for the season with an ERA of 2.01 with 30 strikeouts over five starts. The 22-year-old has pitched quality games in all five of his starts this season and is the first to do so in the club’s history. The right-hander has allowed no more than three runs in all five of his starts this season with three being allowed to Texas and has pitched six innings in each game except one in which he pitched 7.1 allowing two runs on five hits against Toronto. He started the season with 3, 2, 1, 0 runs in his first four starts. His last time out, he allowed two runs on four hits over six innings against Detroit while striking out nine hitters and walking three.

This is Pineda’s second appearance against Texas for his career. He received the loss in his first appearance against the Rangers as well as his Major League debut on April 5, almost exactly one month ago. Over six pitched innings, he allowed three runs – all earned – on five hits, striking out four and walking one.

Pitchers vs. Hitters

LHP C.J. Wilson: C.J. has held the Mariners off pretty well. Adam Kennedy is 2-for-6 and Justin Smoak is 2-for-6 with one homer and three RBIs – the only Mariner to have hit a home run off Wilson. Milton Bradley is 2-for-10 with a double, Jack Wilson is 1-for-8 and Ichiro Suzuki is 8-for-32 with two doubles and is the batter who has the most experience against the left-handed Rangers pitcher.

RHP Michael Pineda: Since this year is his first as a starter against the Rangers, Texas has little experience with players only have two to three at-bats against him. Only three guys have been able to get a hit off him – Michael Young is 1-for-3 with a double and one RBI, Ian Kinsler is 1-for-3 and Mitch Moreland is 2-for-2 with a double, triple and one RBI. Moreland is by far the best hitter thus far off Pineda and he’ll look to continue his success tonight.