ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers last saw the Seattle Mariners only a week ago, but some things have changed. The Mariners remain in the Wild Card hunt while the Rangers are on the brink of elimination after seeing their tragic number for winning the American League West drop to zero.
After losing three of four at T-Mobile Park, the Rangers now welcome the Mariners to Globe Life Field. Texas isn’t wholly without something to play for yet, even if their stakes have mostly been reduced to spite. The Rangers do still have a semblance of playoff hope that they’re clinging to. They’re seven games out of a Wild Card spot with nine games to go, while Seattle is only two games out of a playoff spot, even if they’ve all but relented the division to Houston.
Therefore, there will be no easing off the pedal in this last home series for the Rangers. Not only does Texas need to stave off a hungry Mariners team, eager to claim a playoff berth for the second time in three years, but the Rangers have their own playoff lives to fight for and a desire to send their home crowd off happy and into the sunset at the end of the 2024 campaign.
Seattle Mariners (78-75, 2nd Place AL West, 5.0 GB) @ Texas Rangers (73-80, 3rd Place AL West, E)
The last time that Seattle was in Texas came all the way back in late April when the Rangers were still riding the high of being reigning champs and holding an early division lead. That series was a turning point where Seattle claimed the three-game set two games to one while handing Texas their second shutout of the season and taking over first place in the AL West.
Dane Dunning, Jon Gray and Andrew Heaney were the starting pitchers during that series. Of that trio, only Heaney will return to the hill this weekend. Gray is on the injured list for the remainder of the season and Dunning was demoted to Triple-A last month. Evan Carter and Adolis Garcia hit homers in the one game that Texas won, but Garcia has struggled all season, and Carter was shut down with a back injury months ago.
In the finale back in April, Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Smith hit home runs. Lowe has had hot and cold streaks all year (currently on a hot stretch with a .327/.446/.462 slash line in September), while Smith seems to have run out of gas in the second half after being among the Rangers’ best players throughout the first half.
The matchups
Game 154, 7:05 p.m. CT - RHP George Kirby (12-11, 3.62 ERA) vs. RHP Jacob deGrom (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game 155, 6:05 p.m. CT - RHP Emerson Hancock (3-4, 4.83 ERA) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (2-4, 3.95 ERA)
Game 156, 1:35 p.m. CT - RHP Bryan Woo (8-3, 2.85 ERA) vs. LHP Andrew Heaney (5-14, 3.89 ERA)
Seattle sends George Kirby to kick things off, the pitcher that shut Texas down in the series finale last week. Kirby went seven innings, allowing just one hit total as the Mariners claimed the series. Kirby has now allowed just five earned runs against the Rangers in eight career starts, going 6-0 including a win in the season finale last year.
Emerson Hancock, who was not originally announced as a starter to face Texas last time around, allowed three runs on six hits over five innings. Seattle would get a walk-off win later in the night. Bryan Woo closes it out for Seattle on Sunday and is the one pitcher not to face Texas while they were at T-Mobile Park, but he made his debut against Texas last year.
Woo’s season has been marred by a hamstring injury that kept him out most of the summer. He was knocked around by the Yankees in his last outing, giving up seven runs in 4 ⅔ innings but has otherwise been solid when he’s been able to take the mound.
Texas will begin the series with the 2024 home debut of Jacob deGrom, after making his season debut against these same Mariners last week at T-Mobile Park. The righty, who is expected to be fully healthy going into next season, went 3 ⅔ innings in his debut, striking out four Mariners while allowing four hits.
Max Scherzer will then make potentially his final home start in a Rangers’ uniform. Scherzer, during the final year of his contract, did not see things go well in Arlington this summer after spending most of the year injured. In his return last week in Seattle, the future Hall of Famer allowed two runs in four innings.
It’s fitting that Andrew Heaney would get the ball in the final home game of 2024. Heaney has been the Rangers’ Iron Man pitcher, avoiding the injured list all year. He has had dreadfully low amounts of run support to show for his efforts, as his 5-14 record with a 3.89 ERA would indicate. Heaney took a loss last time out against the Mariners, giving up three runs in five innings while the Texas bats did not produce a run.
For the Rangers, coming off a World Series-winning season, playing mostly to trip up a division rival is a letdown but they’re also playing for pride. While their playoff hopes are dimming like a candle wick sitting in a puddle of melted wax, Texas still has the duty of sending the home fans off with a smile as they leave 2024 behind.
Do you think the Rangers will finish their home slate with a series win against Seattle? Share your predictions with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB.
