Series Thread: Rangers Travel to the Great Northwest to Play Mariners 6/10-6/12

[Bmurph]

Rangers' Mitch Moreland: Making fifth straight start Sunday
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Moreland will start at first base and bat eighth in the order Sunday against the Mariners.

Thanks in large part to Adrian Beltre's hamstring injury, which will sideline him for a fourth straight game Sunday, Moreland has been able to reclaim an everyday spot in the lineup. With the hot-hitting Jurickson Profar now manning third base in place of Beltre and Prince Fielder no longer encroaching on his duties at first base, Moreland will be making his fifth consecutive start. He's started to heat up over the preceding four games, going a collective 6-for-15 with two homers, three doubles and three RBI.

 

[romeo212000]

Do you think Griffin will be ready by next weekend?

I honestly haven't heard anything about his recovery lately.

 

[Bmurph]

I honestly haven't heard anything about his recovery lately.

I just found and posted this

Rangers' A.J. Griffin: First rehab start goes well
by RotoWire Staff | Special to CBSSports.com
Griffin (shoulder) threw well in his first rehab start at Double-A Frisco on Friday, TR Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

Griffin is expected to need at least two more rehab starts in the minors before he's given consideration at the major league level, though a spot in the rotation seems unlikely at this point.

 

[saddles]

I honestly haven't heard anything about his recovery lately.

He threw 42 pitches on the 9th.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[Bmurph]

Odor could hit 25 HR or more this season possibly

 

[romeo212000]

Odor could hit 25 HR or more this season possibly

25 sounds about right.

 

[Bmurph]

TEXAS AT SEATTLE

Time: 04:10 P.M. ESTVenue: Safeco Field
SEATTLE -- Recent history isn't always the best gauge of baseball success, but the Texas Rangers have to be feeling good about Sunday's pitching matchup in the series finale.

The Rangers will send Cole Hamels (5-1) to the mound against a Seattle starter, Wade Miley, that Texas already roughed up twice this season.

Hamels beat the Mariners on Opening Day, allowing two runs and four hits in seven innings in the Rangers' 3-2 win. Conversely, Miley gave up 11 total runs in two starts against Texas in the opening two weeks of the season.

Working in Seattle's favor is the fact that Miley is coming off one of his better games, having thrown seven shutout innings in a win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.

Hamels is looking for his first win since May 22. His Sunday start could include a milestone. He is two strikeouts from 2,000 in his career -- a number that only 76 pitchers have achieved in major league history.

Hamels is the Rangers' top starter, at least until Texas gets a 100 percent healthy Yu Darvish up and running. Darvish is battling shoulder and neck stiffness and the Rangers announced Saturday that he'll skip his scheduled start Monday in Oakland.

"We just want to make sure he's OK," manager Jeff Banister said without offering a possible replacement.

The Rangers could conceivably make a roster move to bring someone up for Monday's start, but they're already pretty strapped for players with third baseman Adrian Beltre nursing a sore hamstring. Left-handed reliever Cesar Ramos has started three games this season, so he might be an option as well.

The news for Seattle's pitching rotation wasn't as encouraging Saturday. ESPN.com reported staff ace Felix Hernandez could miss up to another month with a strained right calf. Hernandez is eligible to come off the disabled list in the next few days, but he told ESPN that his target is to be activated four to six weeks from the original time he was put on the DL on June 1.

"I felt really bad," Hernandez told ESPN of receiving the news. "All I want to do is pitch with my team."

The Mariners sit four games behind Texas in the American League West standings after Saturday night's loss. Seattle was one strike from closing the gap to two games, but Rangers slugger Prince Fielder sent the game into extra innings with a two-out homer on a full count in the top of the ninth. Two innings later, teammate Rougned Odor added a solo homer of his own for the 2-1 win.

It was a big win for the Rangers, who now have a chance to win their third series from the Mariners.

"We needed this after dropping one (Friday night)," Saturday starter Colby Lewis said.

The Mariners, conversely, might need Sunday's game if they're going to stay in the AL West hunt. Without another chance to play Texas until August, Seattle can't afford to fall five games back.

Sure they can

 

[donaldson79]

Why would Ramos not be our first and preferred option?

 

[romeo212000]

Why would Ramos not be our first and preferred option?

Waiting to see if we need him today.

 

[darrylgann]

Prayers for the people of Orlando today!

 

[Bmurph]

Desmond catch on Cano in the 11th last night was something, just watched it again. He is turning into a damn good CF'er

 

[Bmurph]

Keuchel has shit the bed again today, this time in the 5th. I thought he'd regress but he's real bad

 

[DT LUNA]

Heads should be spinning in the FO. Should Yu and AJ not get back for a while some tough decisions have to be made. Hopefully that won't be the case

 

[Nightcrawler]

" a spot in the rotation is unlikely" for AJ seriously? That's retarded. The guy earned his spot by the way he pitched earlier in the season.

 

[romeo212000]

" a spot in the rotation is unlikely" for AJ seriously? That's retarded. The guy earned his spot by the way he pitched earlier in the season.

Guy doesn't know what he's talking about.

 

[Bmurph]

" a spot in the rotation is unlikely" for AJ seriously? That's retarded. The guy earned his spot by the way he pitched earlier in the season.

Think that was written yesterday before the reality of Yu missing the next start and possibly going on the DL