Mariners, still in playoff chase, visit Rangers again
The Seattle Mariners will try for the series win on Saturday night against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, with a much bigger prize — the final American League wild-card spot — still in view. The Mariners improved to 9-2 against the Rangers this season with an 8-2 victory in Friday’s series opener as Julio Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with two homers and five RBIs and George Kirby allowed two runs on five hits over six innings to improve to 7-0 in nine career starts against Texas (73-81).
Seattle (79-75) trails the Minnesota Twins, who pulled out a much-needed 4-2 victory at Boston in 12 innings on Friday, by two games with eight to go. The Twins currently hold the last of the three wild-card spots in the AL. The Detroit Tigers, who lost at Baltimore on Friday, are also a game in front of the Mariners while the Kansas City Royals, who have dropped five in a row, are clinging to the second wild-card spot, one game in front of the Twins.
