Rangers at Mariners
The Texas Rangers try to earn a split of their four-game series against the host Seattle Mariners on Sunday, a day after snapping a five-game slide in emphatic fashion. Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor belted three-run homers on Saturday while Hunter Pence and Logan Forsythe also recorded three RBIs apiece as Texas busted out for a season high in runs with a 15-1 victory.
The Rangers allowed 42 runs in the first five contests of their seven-game road trip before Mike Minor righted the ship by registering a career-high 13 strikeouts on Saturday. Domingo Santana leads the American League with 30 RBIs after belting the Mariners' 59th home run - the most in baseball. Seattle second baseman Dee Gordon is expected back in the lineup Sunday after he limped off the field following his game-winning slide into second base in Friday's 5-4 victory in 11 innings. Texas' Lance Lynn tries to bounce back Saturday after getting rocked in his last turn as he opposes Erik Swanson, who looks for his first victory after losing his first two career starts.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Lance Lynn (2-2, 6.51 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Erik Swanson (0-2, 4.61)
Lynn allowed eight runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings of an 11-5 loss at Oakland on Tuesday. The 31-year-old native of Indiana has recorded three strong starts - two quality - in his previous three turns, yielding five runs and 16 hits over 18 2/3 frames while going 2-1. Jay Bruce is hitting .417 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in 36 at-bats against Lynn, who only start versus the Mariners occurred when he permitted two runs in six innings of a 4-2 victory in Seattle last year while pitching for the New York Yankees.
Swanson allowed five runs - four earned - and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 6-3 loss at San Diego on Tuesday. The 25-year-old native of Ohio, who came to the Mariners in the trade involving James Paxton during the offseason, yielded one run - a solo homer - and two hits in six frames of a 1-0 loss to Cleveland on April 17. Swanson is expected to stay in the rotation until Wade LeBlanc (oblique) returns sometime next month.
WALK-OFFS
1. Swanson was selected by Texas in the eighth round of the 2014 draft and traded to the Yankees in 2016 in the deal for Carlos Beltran.
2. Rangers 3B Asdrubal Cabrera (.237 average, six home runs, 17 RBIs) is expected to play Sunday after missing two contests with tightness in his left calf.
3. Seattle RHP Mike Wright on Saturday made his first appearance since being acquired by Baltimore, allowing a run, three hits and two walks while striking out three batters in two innings of relief.