Rangers at Mariners
The Texas Rangers have to hope that a visit to the worst team in their division can help shake them out of a prolonged funk. They have that opportunity Monday when they carry a seven-game slide into the opener of a three-game series at the Seattle Mariners.
Sunday's 5-3 loss in Houston extended the skid for Texas, which last lost eight in a row in 2014. It is one game over .500 (50-49) for the first time since May 31 and has plummeted 6 1/2 games behind the second wild card in the American League. The Rangers have won seven of their last eight against the Mariners, who are 3-15 over an 18-game span after falling 9-3 to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. Seattle gives the ball to 10-game winner Marco Gonzales on Monday while Texas turns to Adrian Sampson, who earned the win in his last two outings against the Mariners this year.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Southwest (Texas), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Adrian Sampson (6-6, 4.92 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Marco Gonzales (10-8, 4.48)
Sampson's last three appearances have come out of the bullpen, including an outing Wednesday against Arizona in which he was pounded for five runs over 1 1/3 innings. He is 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA versus the Mariners in 2019. Mallex Smith is 4-for-7 with a double against the 27-year-old Sampson, who owns a 7.64 ERA in nine games (five starts) on the road this year.
Gonzales allowed three runs or fewer in six straight starts before he was reached for six runs in six frames of a loss at Oakland on Tuesday. He yielded one earned run in 14 total innings through his first two encounters with the Rangers this year before being knocked around for eight runs (six earned) in four frames against Texas at home May 28. Hunter Pence is 6-for-11 with a home run against Gonzales and Joey Gallo is 5-for-15 with a pair of homers.
WALK-OFFS
1. Gallo is 0-for-12 with nine strikeouts over his last three games.
2. Mariners 1B/DH Daniel Vogelbach (shoulder) was given Sunday off but is expected to be back in the lineup Monday.
3. Texas is averaging eight runs through its first seven games at Seattle this year.