Rangers at Mariners
The Seattle Mariners have won the first two contests of a four-game set with Texas and strive to knock off the visiting Rangers again on Saturday. The Mariners have scored 19 runs in the first two games, and prevailed 5-4 in 11 innings on Friday.
Edwin Encarnacion slugged Seattle's major league-leading 58th homer and drove in four runs in Friday's win in a contest that continued a porous road trip for the Rangers. Texas is 0-5 on the seven-game trek, allowing 42 runs during the stretch. Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor (knee) was activated from the 10-day injured list and struck out four times in five hitless at-bats while the club is hoping it won't have to put third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera (calf) on the IL after he was injured on Thursday. Seattle's Mitch Haniger is 0-for-8 in the series, but his fielder's choice with the bases loaded and one out in the 11th plated the decisive run.
TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Mike Minor (2-2, 3.21 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Mike Leake (2-2, 4.30)
Minor lost to Oakland in his last turn as he gave up four runs and four hits over six innings. The 31-year-old fired a three-hit shutout against the Los Angeles Angels in his previous turn and has worked at least six frames in each of his last four starts. Minor is 1-3 with a 4.91 ERA in eight career appearances (five starts) against Seattle and has struggled with Haniger (5-for-10, two doubles, triple).
Leake served up three homers for the second time in a three-start span when he lost to the Angels in his last turn after giving up four runs and six hits over six innings. The 31-year-old has allowed eight blasts in just 29 1/3 frames, but they all have come during his three road starts. Leake is 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA in six career starts against Texas and has been hit hard by Hunter Pence (15-for-36, one homer) and Shin-Soo Choo (7-for-20, two).
WALK-OFFS
1. Mariners OF Jay Bruce (quadriceps) started Friday for the first time in six days and went hitless in four at-bats.
2. In addition to activating Odor, Texas placed LHP Taylor Hearn (elbow) on the IL, optioned INF Patrick Wisdom and LHP Jeffrey Sprints to Triple-A Nashville and recalled RHPs Wei-Chieh Huang and Ariel Jurado from the same affiliate.
3. Seattle recalled LHP Justus Sheffield - who allowed two runs in three innings on Friday - from Triple-A Tacoma and designated RHP Shawn Armstrong for assignment.