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Mariners-Rangers Preview

Jul 30, 2009 - 5:21 AM By DAN PIERINGER STATS Writer

Seattle (52-48) at Texas (56-42), 8:05 p.m. EDT

After a miserable start to their homestand, the Seattle Mariners capped it on a high note on the hottest day in Seattle's recorded history. They hope that's a sign of things to come for their upcoming series in Texas.

The Mariners look to build on back-to-back one-run wins Thursday night when they open a four-game series against the AL West rival Rangers, coming off just their second loss in 10 games.

Seattle (53-48) had won five of six on the road when it returned to Safeco Field for a six-game homestand. The momentum didn't carry over, however, and the Mariners were outscored 42-10 while losing the first four games.

They bounced back with consecutive wins one-run wins over Toronto, including a 3-2 victory Wednesday. Temperatures reached a Seattle-record 102 degrees before Ken Griffey Jr. hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh inning.

Griffey has a .370 average, nine homers, nine doubles and 30 RBIs in 37 career games at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, but the 39-year-old with a nagging knee problem is 1 for 7 (.143) with two strikeouts and two walks in two games there this season.

Texas (56-43) hopes to slow Griffey again as it tries to rebound from a 13-5 loss to Detroit on Wednesday night. It had won eight of its previous nine.

The Rangers averaged 5.8 runs and batted .304 while winning their first five games against the Mariners this season, but totaled only 11 runs and hit .169 while dropping three of four in Seattle from July 9-12.

The return of Ian Kinsler could give the Rangers' offense a lift. The second baseman, an All-Star in 2008 with 23 homers and a team-high 63 RBIs this year, didn't play Wednesday because of a strained left hamstring he suffered Tuesday.

"It's a lot better than I thought it would be," said Kinsler, who's 8 for 38 (.211) with no homers and one RBI in nine games against Seattle. "Hopefully I'll be ready by (Thursday)."

Garrett Olson (3-4, 5.37 ERA) will start for the Mariners. The left-hander has a 2.76 ERA in 10 relief appearances, but a 6.24 ERA in 10 starts this season. In his last start July 21 at Detroit, he was tagged for seven runs in 1 1-3 innings of a 9-7 defeat.

Olson has had a similar pattern against the Rangers. He hasn't allowed a run in three relief appearances against them - all this season - but gave up six runs in five innings of his lone start in 2007.

The Rangers will counter with rookie left-hander Derek Holland (3-6, 6.13), who is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in three relief appearances against the Mariners.

Holland has gone 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA in two starts since the All-Star break, including a 6-3 loss at Kansas City on Saturday in which he gave up four runs in 4 2-3 innings.

The Mariners made two trades Wednesday, acquiring shortstop Jack Wilson and pitcher Ian Snell from Pittsburgh and adding reliever Robert Manuel from Cincinnati. Manuel was immediately sent to Triple-A Tacoma and it's still uncertain where Snell will fit into the rotation, but Wilson could debut Thursday.