MLB Betting – Rangers vs Mariners Preview & Pick
In the American League West, the cream appears to be rising to the top as we enter the second half of 2011.
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MLB Gambling Online – Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners
Date: Saturday, July 16, 2011
Venue: Safeco Field, Seattle, WA
Broadcast: FSH, ROOT
Texas Rangers at Seattle Mariners Betting Lines from BetOnline.com
Money Line: Seattle -105
Over/Under: 6
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Texas Rangers (52-41 through July 14)
C.J. Wilson (9-3, 3.20)
Oakland and Seattle fought valiantly but are finally fading, leaving the Rangers and Angels to battle it out for the division crown yet again.
All-Star C.J. Wilson gets the ball for the Rangers Saturday night in Seattle. He’s been a real workhorse this season while also raising his strikeout rate and curbing his walk rate. Reportedly, Cliff Lee’s brief stay in Texas last season really rubbed off on Wilson.
Though Wilson has a mediocre 4.48 ERA against the Mariners for his career, some of those innings came as a reliever. He dominated them his last time out, pitching a complete game with 12 strikeouts.
Texas beat the M’s 4-0 on Friday night.
Seattle Mariners (43-49 through July 14)
Felix Hernandez (8-7, 3.19)
The Seattle Mariners are in a freefall, having lost six straight games – all to division rivals. That’ll put you out of contention in a hurry, won’t it?
It’s easy to see why Seattle has tanked. The Mariners are dead last in baseball in runs per game, batting average (a pitiful .223 as a team) and OPS. They’ve relied too much on youngsters like Justin Smoak, who have hit their inevitable slumps. Even Ichiro is batting .267, for cryin’ out loud!
The Mariners’ pitching has been just fine. Hard to believe reigning AL Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez hasn’t even been the best pitcher on his own team. His ERA has risen by almost a run but, oddly, his walk rate, homer rate and opposing batting average haven’t changed much at all from last season. Teams are just finding ways to score on him more. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
MLB Trends
TEX are 8-0 in their last 8 overall.
TEX are 8-0 in their last 8 games on grass.
TEX are 36-16 in Wilsons last 52 starts on grass.
Under is 20-8-3 in SEA last 31 home games.
SEA are 15-36 in their last 51 Sat. games.
Under is 33-14-5 in SEA last 52 overall.
TEX are 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.
TEX are 6-2 in Wilsons last 8 starts vs. SEA.
MLB Free pick:
The Seattle bats can’t hit the broad side of a barn right now and Wilson should be brimming with confidence after obliterating them his last time out. He won’t need much run support. Felix Hernandez is a ho-hum 10-13 with a 3.84 ERA against Texas in his career.
He has a devil of a time keeping the ball in the park against them.
He’ll have to be especially careful against Nelson Cruz, who has three long balls and slugs .538 off him in his career.
The problem is that King Felix can’t afford even the slightest mistake.
If he allows more than, say, three runs, he’s toast, as the offense behind him isn’t doing a thing.
Rangers vs Mariners prediction: Rangers 4, Mariners 2
