Rangers vs Mariners Game Preview: Seattle Seeks 2nd Straight Win
Texas Blows Golden Chance in Series Opener
The Texas Rangers gave one away Thursday night, giving Friday’s game at Seattle more importance. Texas saw its division lead drop to 2.0 games over Houston and 3.0 games over Seattle. Trailing 2-1 entering the bottom of the ninth, Seattle won on J.P. Crawford’s walk-off double. The Rangers vs Mariners game preview has Nathan Eovaldi and Bryan Woo as the scheduled starters for Friday.
The early MLB lines have Seattle -115 with a total of 8. That’s influenced primarily on Seattle’s need to win more than it is on the strength of the starting pitchers. Eovaldi is 12-4 on the season with a 3.26 ERA. The Rangers are 15-9 when Eovaldi starts and 7-5 when he starts on the road. Woo is 4-5 for the year with a 4.39 ERA. Seattle is 9-8 when Woo starts and 3-3 when he starts at home.
Before Crawford’s ninth-inning, two-out double, it looked like it was going to be a game of squandered opportunities for Seattle. The Mariners loaded the bases in the ninth with nobody out, but the Rangers got the next two batters out without a run scoring. Seattle outhit Texas 8-3 and drew four walks compared to one for the Rangers.
The bullpen collapse was an all-too-familiar sight for Ranger fans. The MLB stats 2023 show Texas has now converted just 30 of 63 save attempts. Colorado and the Chicago White Sox are the only two other teams to have converted less than 50% of their save chances.
Rangers vs Mariners 
Date & Time:
Location: T-Mobile Park
Friday’s Game Trends
The Rangers were 21-17 when they were held to two runs or less in the previous game. In totals, Texas is 22-14-2 in the same situation, averaging 5.55 runs per game.
Texas is 2-0 against Woo this season, winning the first game 16-6 and taking a 9-8 decision last week. Both of those games were at home.
One thing Texas hasn’t done well this season is bounce back from a loss. The Rangers are 34-35 after losing their previous game.
Seattle is 47-38 after a victory this season but just 22-20 after a win and at home. The Mariners have a better home record but did have several winning streaks away from home.
The Mariners are 0-2 against Nathan Eovaldi this season. The Rangers won his first start at 12-3 in June, and he was on the mound facing Woo in Texas’s 9-8 victory last week.
Friday’s Play
The Rangers vs Mariners game preview has the Seattle -115 line as being a bit slanted toward Seattle. You can’t blame the sportsbook here. Fans and bettors know Seattle is in a must-win situation. Eovaldi didn’t pitch well last time against Seattle. But he was the better of the two starters, and the Rangers took the victory.
The Rangers vs Mariners game preview isn’t completely sold on the total here. At 8.0, it could be a half run too low, especially based on what happened during the last game these two starters met. But Eovaldi was solid the first time he faced Seattle this season, allowing one hit in six scoreless innings.
The MLB score predictions have this game as a toss-up. It’s tough to back Seattle, knowing Woo has allowed 12 runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Rangers this season. But the Mariners are going down without a fight.
It’s a bit easier to make a case for the over than the under in this game, so that’s probably the way to go in Friday’s Game 2 of the series.
For MLB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
