Texas @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 14, 2014 ) Texas 4, Seattle 3

The Texas Rangers and host Seattle Mariners are 34-34 and tied for third in the American League West - seven games behind Oakland - as they meet in the finale of their three-game series Sunday, but are going in opposite directions. Texas has won three straight following a 4-3 victory Saturday for its second one-run victory in the series while Seattle has lost five in a row. The Mariners have scored the second-fewest runs in the American League and totaled only 10 during their slide.

The Rangers are off to an excellent start on their nine-game road trip that will also take them to Oakland and Anaheim. Texas catcher Robinson Chirinos on Saturday went 2-for-4 for the second time in four games and is 4-for-12 with two of his five homers and five of his 17 RBIs during that span. Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma has lost three of his last four starts while receiving eight runs of support during that span and opposes rookie Nick Martinez, who endured his worst start in his last outing.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Nick Martinez (1-3, 4.63 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (4-3, 2.79)

Martinez yielded eight runs and six hits in two innings of a 17-7 loss to Cleveland on Monday to fall to 1-2 with a 5.91 ERA and an unsightly 1.83 WHIP in seven starts. Left-handed batters are hitting .337 against the 23-year-old Florida native after the Indians trotted out an all-lefty lineup, and it appears the Mariners are capable of stacking their lineup with eight left-handers if they choose. Martinez has recorded 23 walks and 22 strikeouts while yielding 57 hits in 46 2/3 innings.

Iwakuma allowed three runs and seven hits while walking an uncharacteristic two in 7 1/3 innings of a 3-2 loss to the New York Yankees on Tuesday in his second straight quality start. The 33-year-old Tokyo native sports a stingy 0.97 WHIP as he has allowed 50 hits and six walks in 58 innings. Iwakuma is 4-3 with a 3.63 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and .247 batting average against in 10 games (nine starts) versus Texas while struggling against Adrian Beltre (10-for-25, three homers, five RBIs).

WALK-OFFS

1. Seattle 2B Robinson Cano leads the American League in hitting at .330 with Detroit's Victor Martinez (.329) and Texas' Alex Rios (.326) right behind.

2. Mariners C Jesus Montero, who was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday, went 1-for-3 as the designated hitter Saturday in his first major-league game since he was suspended 50 games for his connection to the Biogenesis performance-enhancing drug scandal last season.

3. Seattle has played the most one- or two-run games in the American League and is 18-20 in such contests.

PREDICTION: Mariners 3, Rangers 2