Rangers at Mariners
The Texas Rangers try for a split of their six-game road trip when they play the struggling Seattle Mariners on Wednesday afternoon. Texas (26-26) snapped a three-game losing streak with an 11-4 victory Tuesday and is 9-4 in its last 13 games as outfielder Hunter Pence continues to enjoy a renaissance season.
The 36-year-old Pence (.308) went 2-for-3 with two RBIs on Tuesday and is batting .341 with three home runs and eight RBIs in his last 10 games while on pace to produce his best numbers since 2013. Rangers outfielder Nomar Mazara has a 13-game hitting streak (.386) against Seattle after going 2-for-4 with his seventh home run of the season Tuesday. The Mariners have plummeted into the American League West cellar by losing 10 of their last 12 games and are 11-31 since starting the season 13-2. Texas' Drew Smyly takes the ball Wednesday - at the start or following an opener - after recording his first victory since 2016 and opposes Wade LeBlanc, who has struggled at home this season.
TV: 3:40 p.m. ET, MLB Network; FS Southwest (Texas), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Drew Smyly (1-3, 6.15 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Wade LeBlanc (2-2, 7.33)
Smyly allowed three runs, five hits (two home runs) and four walks in six innings of a 4-3 victory over the Angels in Anaheim on Friday. The 29-year-old Arkansas native missed the last two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery. Seattle's Edwin Encarnacion is 3-for-17 with six strikeouts versus Smyly, who is 1-2 with a 4.74 ERA in seven games (four starts) against the Mariners.
LeBlanc yielded four runs and five hits (two home runs) with four strikeouts in five innings of a 6-2 loss at Oakland on Friday. The 34-year-old Louisiana native has permitted 11 runs over 7 1/3 innings in two starts since missing more than a month because of an oblique injury. Mazara and teammate Elvis Andrus are a combined 8-for-17 with a home run versus LeBlanc, who is 2-1 with a 4.13 ERA in five starts (four games) against Texas.
WALK-OFFS
1. Seattle OF Mitch Haniger (4-for-24 in last four games) was given Tuesday off by manager Scott Servais in an effort to snap a prolonged slump in which he's batted .185 since April 24.
2. Rangers OF Joey Gallo (103 career home runs) recorded his 100th career single Tuesday.
3. Mariners SS J.P. Crawford left Tuesday's game in the eighth inning after sustaining what appeared to be an ankle injury.