Following a high-scoring four-game home-and-home series against the San Diego Padres, the Seattle Mariners (31-22) will travel to Arlington for the first of three games against the Texas Rangers (31-22) on Friday.
While the Mariners were busy rallying back to knock off the Padres 16-13 to win that interleague series Thursday, the Rangers enjoyed a day off and head into this American League West matchup as -140 home betting favorites (bet $140 to win $100) at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.
Texas and Seattle are tied atop the division and will play each other six times in the next 10 games after splitting the first six meetings in early April. The Rangers are 9-3 in their last 12 since getting swept in a three-game road set versus the Oakland Athletics, while the Mariners lost three in a row to the Minnesota Twins before playing San Diego.
Despite outscoring the Padres 47-34 in that series, Seattle’s starting pitching is a big concern, especially after surrendering 27 of those runs in the last two games.
Taijuan Walker (2-5, 3.31 ERA) has seen the Mariners lose five of his last six starts, with his ERA gradually rising from a season-low of 1.44 heading into May. He suffered a neck injury against the Houston Astros on May 6 and has not been the same since.
Walker has surrendered nine home runs in his past five outings and gave up only one in his first five combined, which includes a 4-2 home victory against Texas back on April 13. The under cashed in that game and is 7-2-1 in his 10 starts this year. However, the over is 4-1 in the past five meetings, according to the Odds Shark MLB Database.
The Rangers hope ace Yu Darvish (1-0, 1.80 ERA) will continue to be as sharp in his second start as he was in his first when he allowed one run and three hits in five innings of a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates last Saturday. He missed last season following Tommy John surgery and will continue to be on a pitch count after throwing 81 against the Pirates, with Texas expected to keep him under 100 in this outing.
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