Mariners Game Notes: Nuno Hopes for Encore vs. Rangers

The Seattle Mariners (72-76) battle the Texas Rangers (79-68) on Saturday evening in Arlington, TX. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 pm PT from Globe Life Park. Vidal Nuno (1-2, 3.21 ERA) will be on the bump for the M’s, and Cole Hamels (3-1, 4.04 ERA) will get the ball for the home side. Root Sports Northwest will carry the game live locally, and MLB.tv subscribers can watch worldwide on connected devices.

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With last night’s win, Seattle now sits 7.5 games back of the American League West leading Texas Rangers. The Mariners are also just 5 games back of the Houston Astros in the wildcard.

Mariners’ skipper Lloyd McClendon and Rangers’ boss Jeff Banister have released the following lineups for tonight’s game:

Pitching Preview

Vidal Nuno will make his second consecutive start against the Rangers tonight, and the M’s will be hoping for a repeat performance. Nuno nearly pitched a no-no in his last outing, blanking Texas across 7 innings while allowing just 1 hit. The 28-year-old southpaw recorded a career high, 10 strikeouts while issuing 2 free passes. Command was a bit an issue his last time out, as he hit a pair of Rangers and required 106 pitches to make it through 7 innings.

Cole Hamels was one of the best pitchers in baseball as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, but his dominance has not translated to the American League thus far. Hamels enters play with a 3-1 record and a 4.04 ERA through his first 8 starts with Texas. The 31-year-old lefty has not pitched well against the M’s in 2015, as he sports a 1-1 record with a 4.95 ERA across 3 outings. Hopefully his struggles against Seattle continue tonight.

Pick to Click

Jul 10, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Franklin Gutierrez (30) is greeted by third baseman Kyle Seager (15) after Gutierrez scored a run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Franklin Gutierrez has been an impact performer ever since the Mariners recalled him from Tacoma in late June. He has provided consistency for the M’s at the plate, and has been very sure-handed in left field. He is no longer an everyday type of player, but he has found a home as a part-time outfielder in Seattle. Guti is hitting .412 with 1 double, 3 home runs and 5 RBI since the calendar flipped to September. He is also a .375 career hitter against Cole Hamels. I predict Gutierrez will tally at least 2 hits tonight, one of which will be a round tripper.

Final Score Prediction

Seattle has been surprisingly effective against the Rangers in 2015. Vidal Nuno had his way with Texas during his last start, and hopefully that happens again tonight. Many of the Mariners’ hitters have solid track records against Cole Hamels, thus there is a decent chance the M’s can pile up some runs. I’m predicting a 6-2 win tonight for the Mariners against the AL West leading Rangers.

Next: Mariners News: Update on M's GM Search

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