In today’s matchup between the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners, the road favorite Rangers are listed anywhere from -120 to -128 when looking at the board across a number of books. In this matchup, the pitching matchup, and the visiting teams’ ability to bring some power to the plate are key.
Breaking down the pitching matchup, Texas sends out Jacob deGrom for his third start of the season. His record is 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA, and a 1.125 WHIP, issuing two walks vs. nine strikeouts over 10.2 innings. In his last start, deGrom didn’t factor in to the decision, which came against the Rays at home on Saturday. He pitched 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
This marks deGrom’s fifth career start against the Mariners. He is 1-1 with a 1.83 ERA, a 1.017 WHIP, with three walks and 26 strikeouts over 19.2 innings. When pitching at Seattle, deGrom is 1-1 with a 1.62 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, two walks and 21 strikeouts vs. 16.2 innings in three career starts. Lifetime when pitching on the road deGrom is 50-35 posting an ERA of 3.38 with a WHIP of 1.30.
For the Mariners, Bryce Miller makes his third start of the season, as he’s still looking for that first win, sitting at 0-2 with an ERA of 5.73 ERA, along with a WHIP of 1.636. He’s issued five walks and eight strikeouts over 11 innings of work. Miller took the loss in his last start at San Francisco on Saturday. He threw 5.1 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts in that 4-1 loss.
Miller makes his fifth career start against the Rangers, where he’s 0-3 with an 8.64 ERA, a 1.86 WHIP, with eight walks and 16 strikeouts over 16.2 innings of work against Texas. Miller is 11-7 with a 2.76 ERA, a 0.977 WHIP, 41 walks and 181 strikeouts over 176 innings in 31 career starts at T-Mobile Park.
The ability of Texas to hit for power is a difference at this early juncture of the season with the Rangers being 19th with a .367 team slugging percentage while the Mariners are 23rd with a .333 team slugging percentage at this point of the season.
Greg Dempson Play: Greg’s invested in Texas @ -122 on the money line (listed pitchers play)
Good luck.