Texas @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 29, 2018 ) Texas 1, Seattle 4

Nelson Cruz and Denard Span couldn't do quite enough this season to help the Seattle Mariners end a 16-year postseason drought, but both have a chance to reach some impressive individual marks. The Mariners eye a third straight win and look to secure a second consecutive season series victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday, when the American League West rivals conclude their campaigns with the finale of their four-game set in Seattle.

The Mariners (88-73) assured themselves of their most successful season since 2007 with Saturday's 4-1 victory despite a combined 0-for-7 showing from Cruz and Span. Nevertheless, Cruz could become only the seventh player in team history to record at least three seasons with 100 RBIs by driving in three runs in the finale, while Span finds himself two hits shy of becoming the 38th active player to reach 1,500 for his career. The Rangers fell to 1-5 on their season-ending seven-game road trip following their most recent defeat and have scored fewer than three runs in four of their last five contests. Texas' meager offensive showing has come despite a stellar September from Adrian Beltre, who leads the AL with 16 extra-base hits this month after recording an RBI double on Saturday.

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Yovani Gallardo (8-7, 6.40 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Roenis Elias (2-1, 2.93)

Gallardo enters his final outing of the season on a four-start losing streak after permitting two runs on three hits and three walks against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. The 2010 All-Star has posted an 8.15 ERA during his personal slide and been unable to find much success on the road all season, going 3-5 with a 7.88 ERA in those 10 appearances (eight starts). Cruz is 6-for-13 with two homers versus Gallardo, who allowed two runs in six frames on Aug. 8 to register the win against Seattle.to get the win Aug. 8 against Seattle.

Elias will make his fourth spot start of the season after being sharp in his last one, holding the Angels scoreless across 3 2/3 frames while yielding a hit and two walks on Sept. 14. The 32-year-old, who is 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA as a starter and 2-0 with a 2.02 mark in his other 19 outings, is coming off an appearance on Tuesday in which he gave up a solo homer in three frames against Oakland. Elvis Andrus is 5-for-14 versus Elias, who allowed an unearned run over 2 1/3 innings against Texas out of the bullpen Sept. 21.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mariners RHP Edwin Diaz notched his 57th save on Saturday, tying Bobby Thigpen for the second-highest total in a season in major-league history.

2. With a home run Sunday, Beltre can match Darrell Evans in 1987 and Rafael Palmeiro in 2004 for the most homers in September (nine) by a player 39 years or older.

3. Seattle is baseball's only undefeated team (76-0) when leading after eight innings.

PREDICTION: Mariners 6, Rangers 4