The Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners meet Thursday in MLB action from T-Mobile Park. This will be the finale in a three-game series between these teams. The Mariners took a four-run win in the Tuesday opener, then on Wednesday Seattle kept it going with a two-run victory. Check back all season long for free MLB picks at Sports Chat Place.

Texas managed just one win in four games versus the Angels over the weekend, then fell 6-2 in the Tuesday opener versus Seattle. On Wednesday, the Rangers scored two in the last inning but ultimately fell short in a 4-2 loss. Dane Dunning lasted 4.0 innings with three earned on six hits and three walks in the start.

Starter for the Thursday game will be Texas’ Taylor Hearn. This year over two starts, Hearn is 0-1 with a 4.70 ERA, 7.2 innings, 14 hits, four earned, two walks and 10 Ks. He has a 6-8 record in his MLB career with a 4.79 ERA. 

Over on the Mariners’ side, they won two of three over the Astros this past weekend before their Tuesday win. On Wednesday, Seattle posted nine team hits on the way to the victory. Logan Gilbert put up 6.2 clean innings with six hits and four Ks in the start.

Marco Gonzales will take the mound in the start for the Mariners. In two starts so far Gonzales has a 1-1 record, a 3.00 ERA, 9.0 innings, 10 hits, three earned, two walks and seven Ks. He’s 52-34 in his career with a 4.05 overall ERA. 

The Rangers are 21-44 in their last 65 versus the AL West and 27-57 in their last 84 overall. Texas is 7-19 in their last 26 Thursday games.
Meanwhile, the Mariners are 4-1 in their last five Thursday games and 6-2 in their last eight in game three of a series. Seattle is 19-7 in their last 26 versus the AL West. 

PICK: I’m going to take a stab on Seattle here. Gonzales didn’t have a great first start this year with two earned on six hits and two walks in just 2.0 innings during a loss to the Twins. He was able to bounce back against Houston last week, though. In Wednesday’s game, the Mariners really only had the one big inning; that said, generally they were able to stifle Texas’ hitting rallies on the other side (until the ninth inning, anyway). I like Seattle to keep it going in the finale.