Seattle @ Texas preview
Choctaw Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jun 9, 2010 ) Seattle 2, Texas 12
Tommy Hunter couldn’t have pictured a better season debut, other than the fact that it came in June. Still, Hunter threw a complete game and led the Texas Rangers to a victory in his first start this season.
Hunter makes his second start this season Thursday night, as he goes against the Seattle Mariners in a four-game series finale.
In his season debut against Tampa Bay on Saturday, Hunter went the distance on 117 pitches, allowing only one run on five hits with no walks and four strikeouts. It was the first Rangers’ complete game in a season debut since Rick Helling accomplished the feat on Apr. 3, 1998.
Hunter entered spring training as one of the favorites to make the Texas rotation, but a left oblique strain landed him on the disabled list. He eventually started at Triple-A Oklahoma City after that, where he went 1-2 with a 4.05 ERA in six starts before being called up to the big leagues.
In four lifetime starts against Seattle, Hunter is 1-2 with a 2.59 ERA.
Offensively, the Rangers have scored at least five runs in seven of their past nine games. They scored 12 on Wednesday night, and enjoyed their biggest wining margin, 10 runs, of any game this season.
On Wednesday, eight of the nine starters collected hits and seven recorded at least one RBI. Michael Young went 2-for-4, Josh Hamilton had three RBIs and Vladimir Guerrero had two RBIs on three hits, giving him seven RBIs over his past six games.
Seattle, meanwhile, will look to Ryan Rowland-Smith to slow down Texas’ offense.
Rowland-Smith, who is starting in place of Doug Fister, went five innings, allowing one run on four hits in his last start. He didn’t get a decision as the Mariners eventually lost 11-2 against the Angels.
Prior to that start, Rowland-Smith came out of relief in his three previous outings. But in eight games against the Rangers, including one start, Rowland-Smith is 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA.
The Mariners have struggled offensively this season, scoring three or fewer runs in 31 of 59 games. Their record in those contests is a dreadful 4-27.
On the bright side, Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki snapped a 0-for-17 streak against the Rangers with a double in the fifth inning on Wednesday.