Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners: Series Preview

A four-game set between the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners starts this afternoon. What can Rangers fans expect from the series and which players are worthy of a close watch?

The Texas Rangers begin a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners in Seattle this afternoon. Texas has played 13 consecutive games without a day off and this will be their second consecutive four-game series. They’ll have to muster up enough energy to overcome a Seattle squad that has won 9 of their last 10 games. In fact, Seattle has won 9 of 12 games since losing Robinson Cano to an 80-game PED suspension. Here’s what we’ll see in the upcoming series:

Matchups

May 28th at 3:10 PM CST: Doug Fister (1-4) vs. Marco Gonzalez (4-3)

May 29th at 9:10 PM CST: Austin Bibens-Dirkx (0-1) vs. Felix Hernandez (5-4)

May 30th at 9:10 PM CST: Matt Moore (1-5) vs. James Paxton (4-1)

May 31st at 9:10 PM CST: Mike Minor (4-3) vs. Wade LeBlanc (0-0)

Most Intriguing Matchup

Tomorrow night’s Bibens-Dirkx vs. Hernandez matchup is a compelling one. Bibens-Dirkx put forth an acceptable start in his 2018 debut last Thursday. In that start, he pitched 6 1/3 innings against the Kansas City Royals, allowing four earned runs on eight hits. He struck out six and walked only one batter.

That is the Bibens-Dirkx way…pounding the strike zone and pitching to contact. Seattle is a contact-hitting team with middle of the road power. They are also a free-swinging bunch. If Austin Bibens-Dirkx can successfully spot his two-seam fastball then he should force some poor contact from Mariners’ hitters. Though, he will need help from the defense behind him. The Texas Rangers defense has not been good this season; however, a clean game on Tuesday should put them in a winning position.

More from Texas Rangers News

• Early 2023 MLB mock draft has Texas Rangers selecting an Ohtani-lite
• 3 Texas Rangers outfield trade targets not named Bryan Reynolds
• Did Jacob deGrom really mean what he said at his Texas Rangers press conference?
• Martin Perez accepting the qualifying offer looking like solid deal for the Rangers
• 4 outfielders the Texas Rangers can still pursue this winter

The other side of the story involves the Texas offense and opposing pitcher Felix Hernandez. Hernandez has struggled this season and he has also struggled against the Rangers from a historical standpoint. He is not quite the strikeout pitcher that he once was, and that bodes well for a Texas Rangers offense that leads MLB in strikeouts. In addition, King Felix has already given up 10 home runs over 11 starts this season.

Ultimately, history and offensive makeup give the Rangers promise for tomorrow’s game. If their first through third hitters can find ways to reach base, there’s a good chance their fourth through sixth hitters can drive one or two over the fence against Hernandez.

Players to Watch

The Rangers will face three left-handed starting pitchers in this series. Two players that have fared well against southpaws this season are Jurickson Profar and Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

Profar has a slash line of .302/.400/.605 against lefties this season. He has hit .316 with six RBI and six extra-base hits over his last five starts. Kiner-Falefa has a slash line of .237/.356/.395 against lefties this season. While his batting average is about 30 points better against right-handed pitchers, he does reach base and hit for power at much greater rates against left-handers.

Next: 4 Reasons for Rangers fans to Stay Tuned in 2018

Assuming Jeff Banister stays with his recent lineup routine, we can expect Kiner-Falefa to continue hitting 3rd and Profar 5th. Hopefully Delino DeShields can get it going and hopefully Shin-Soo Choo can keep it going. If the top third of the batting order can perturb Mariners’ pitchers, Nomar Mazara and Profar should have an enjoyable week of inflating their RBI numbers.