Tonight, the Mariners are set to face the Rangers in Arlington at 5:05 PT, with our own Bryce Miller, affectionately known as “Big Tex,” taking the mound. Since his return from an oblique strain that sidelined him for the first quarter of the season, Miller has been absolutely lights-out, turning in what’s easily the best year of his career.
Miller’s Incredible Run Hits a Snag
Seriously, “Big Tex” has been dealing. He’s striking out a phenomenal 29.5% of batters while walking a miniscule 4.1%. That K-BB% stat? It’s good for fourth-best in all of MLB among pitchers with at least 60 innings pitched, putting him right there with the guys in the Cy Young conversation like Miz, Skubal, Cease, Wheeler, Schittler, deGrom, and Skenes. That’s elite company, Emerald City! But here’s the kicker, and it’s a tough one to swallow: over the past month, Miller’s fastball velocity and his overall results have actually been on a downward trajectory. We’ve seen what he can do, so that recent dip is definitely something to keep an eye on as he toes the rubber tonight.
Gore and the Mariners’ Adjusted Lineup
Across the diamond, the Rangers are throwing MacKenzie Gore, who was the “jewel” of their offseason. His 4.80 ERA might look rough, but the advanced stats like xERA, FIP, xFIP, and SIERRA are all about a full point lower, suggesting he’s been pitching much better than the basic numbers indicate. Still, an ERA hovering around 4.00 isn’t exactly what the Rangers were hoping for, is it? And to make matters more interesting, Gore has historically been a much worse performer in the second half, which is kind of the anti-Julio.
For our Mariners, the lineup has some tweaks. J.P. Crawford is out tonight, so Weston Wilson gets another start at third base. Dominic Canzone has been working his way into starts against lefties, which is huge, and Mitch Garver is slotted in as the DH. You know, his overall stats are a bit masked from all the times he had to face righties when Cal Raleigh was on the IL, but Garver has been actively good against left-handed pitching this year. He’s rocking a 107 wRC+ against southpaws, and even amidst a three-year decline, he’s at 114 against lefties, compared to the MLB designated hitter average of 108 wRC+ over the past three seasons. That’s a smart play against Gore! The Rangers’ lineup, by the way, looks quite different from their 2023 World Series run, especially with Corey Seager out.
So, buckle up, Seattle! First pitch is 5:05 PDT, catch it on Mariners TV or tune into Old Reliable on the radio. Here’s hoping Big Tex finds his best stuff tonight and leads our boys to a win against the division rival. In other news from the diamond, the Mariners unfortunately just dropped a 5-3 game to the Cincinnati Reds. Good vibes only for tonight, though!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Lookout Landing.
Leave a Reply