Seattle Mariners Need A Win and Some Love from the Rangers

It’s do or die once again. Even if the Mariners win out, they need some love from the Texas Rangers to have a shot at a tiebreaker to make the playoffs.

But the score of the Oakland-Texas game won’t matter if the M’s can’t take care of business against the A’s.

Game Details:

Seattle Mariners 85-75. Need to win out and need an Oakland loss in both.

Los Angeles Angels: 98-62. Clinched AL West, home field throughout playoffs (including World Series with AL All-Star game victory).

Game Time: 6:10 PM Pacific. Location: Seattle, Washington. Safeco Field.

MATCHUPS:

Pitching:

Seattle Mariners LHP James Paxton (6-4, 3.16 ERA) v. LA Angels LHP C.J. Wilson (13-10, 4.61 ERA)

EDGE? Paxton.

Wilson has been regularly dependable in his MLB career, but Paxton has had better stuff this season. Though Paxton had a rough go around his last time out, he knows what’s at stake and has the skillset to keep these Mariners playoff hopes alive for one more day.

Lineups:

Mariners:

Austin Jackson 8

Dustin Ackley 7

Robinson Cano 4

Kendrys Morales DH

Kyle Seager 5

Logan Morrison 3

Chris Denorfia 9

Mike Zunino 2

Chris Taylor 6

Of Note: Chicks dig the long ball, and the home run kept the Mariners’ playoff hopes alive last night. Ackley, Michael Saunders, and Morales cranked homers to right field giving the M’s just enough run support for the W.

Angels:

Kole Calhoun 7

Mike Trout 8

Albert Pujols DH

Howie Kendrick 4

David Freese 5

Erick Aybar 6

Chris Iannetta 2

C.J. Cron 3

Collin Cowgill 7

Of Note: Homers by Calhoun and Trout off Hisashi Iwakuma made it close in the 6th, and Fernando Rodney allowed a run to score in the 9th making this game much closer than it ought to have been. But Iwakuma got back on track last night, and Paxton could do the same to keep the Mariners hopes alive.

Final Thoughts:

There’s nothing else to be said: if the Mariners lose it doesn’t matter. But even if they win, they still need help to make the playoffs. Can they get it? It remains to be seen, but first things first they need to get the W, which I expect them to do tonight.

Score Prediction:

Mariners 4, Angels 3.