By Patrick
 |
| Keep hitting, champ |
Finally. The Mariners got a great start from Jason Vargas on Tuesday night, and finally worked some great at bats and delivered continually with runners in scoring position. The Mariners beat the Rangers 10-3. You read that right. It wasn't the other way around. They threw down a six spot in the eighth inning, loading the bases and moving runners from station to station with singles and a key error by Elvis Andrus that bailed out Brendan Ryan's continual 3-2 count struggles.
Vargas turned in another nice start, allowing just three runs to the Rangers, all driven in by Josh Hamilton. That's OK by me. If he can take away all of the Rangers hitters besides Hamilton and Andrus in front of him, the Mariners will have a chance to win most of those games. And they won this one. Vargas improved to 6-4 with the win. This is the best and most consistent season of his career.
Today, an opportunity to take back to back series from the Rangers presents itself. The Mariners definitely understand how important this chance is. Blake Beavan also understands that, and will look to score his third win of the season against his former team.
May 30: Ham Sandwich (2-4, 4.38) Derek "the 'stache" Holland (4-3, 4.05)
Here's another case of the Mariners versus the Rangers in the run support department. Holland and Beavan have similar ERAs. Sure, Holland is viewed as a better pitcher in experts' minds. But the two have had similar seasons in terms of runs allowed. Yet Beavan deals with the Mariners' offense, whereas Holland gets the Rangers high-powered and well-oiled machine behind him. Hence the 2-4 versus the 4-3. Beaven got robbed by Brandon League's hopefully final implosion in a save situation Friday. Beavan threw a solid seven innings, and his only blemish was a three run shot by Albert Pujols. Holland beat the Mariners the only time he faced them earlier this year. He's also left handed, which instantly makes him better against the M's. As such, the M's have adjusted their lineup to try and use their crappy veterans to produce hits. Good stuff M's.
Players to Watch:
Kyle Seager: Seager snapped a terrible stretch last night that most likely went under most Mariner fans radars. But the important thing is he's back on track, after a 3-for-4 night last night that included two doubles. With Ichiro on the bench today, Seager slots up to the three-hole, and will have a chance to prove himself against a lefty. A good night for Seager should translate directly into a good night for the M's, as it has for the most part in 2012.
Michael Young: Usually a Mariner killer, Young has proved a remarkably easy out for Mariner pitching in 2012. Tonight, with the second toughest out in the lineup (Andrus) getting a day off, Young moves up to the second spot in the order and takes the field, playing first base. Hamilton relies on Andrus getting on base and going nuts on the base paths to help his team win. Young won't steal bases, and so his production will be crucial for the Rangers tonight. If he gets extra-base hits, the Rangers should win.
Rangers 5, M's 3: This is a tough one for me. Beavan has looked solid lately, but I just think he throws way too many strikes to baffle the Rangers. I wouldn't be shocked if they don't take him deep once or twice tonight. That being said, Holland should trouble the Mariners, since he's left handed and pretty talented. It's really that simple. Just ask Matt Harrison. The Mariners will use last night's explosion for a little momentum, but will likely come up short in a tough matchup. Go M's.
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