8/17/21: Open Game Thread

last series in texas

The Rangers again? Well, this series marks the final time the Mariners will square off against them in 2021, meaning one last trip to the cavernous new Globe Life Field in Arlington. Despite adeptly handling Texas in the friendly confines of T-Mobile Park, Seattle has struggled when facing them on the road, with Jonah Heim cementing himself into the Mariner Killer Pantheon with walk-off home runs in back-to-back games the last time the M’s were here. Let’s all hope this series ends better.

Mariners PR

With Nathaniel Lowe the sole lefty bat for Texas, Tyler Anderson will need to rely on his changeup early to get through its lineup – although he should be plenty familiar at this point, given it’s the third time in his four Seattle starts that he’s faced them. Anything close to his last outing against the Rangers (5.1 innings, one run, no walks, four strikeouts, plus a well-deserved callout of the home plate umpire over a tenuous balk call) will be golden, but something tells me he’ll go a full six tonight. Taylor Hearn should be counted on to go around four innings – his pitch count has been creeping up in his last few outings, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see his night done once he crosses 70. Maybe that’s why Jake Fraley and Cal Raleigh are starting in lieu of relative lefty bashers Dylan Moore and Tom Murphy, but really, confirmed lefty basher Luis Torrens hitting behind Fraley? Feels questionable.

Game Time: 5:05pm PDT

TV: ROOT Sports NW, MLB.tv

Radio; 710 ESPN Seattle, MLB At Bat