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Rangers-Mariners Preview

May 2, 2010 - 12:21 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Texas (11-12) at Seattle (11-12), 4:10 p.m. EDT

The Texas Rangers are in position for their first sweep at Safeco Field thanks in large part to their starting pitching and some fortuitous hits from Elvis Andrus.

The Rangers will send their most impressive starter to the mound in C.J. Wilson when they try to continue this season's success against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.

Texas is 4-1 against Seattle this year, with its starters posting a 1.29 ERA. That includes Colby Lewis' 10-strikeout performance over nine innings in Friday's 2-0, 12-inning victory, and Matt Harrison's solid six innings Saturday in a 6-3 victory.

Andrus has also been a factor due to some good fortune resulting in key hits each game.

He scored the first run Friday after leading off the 12th with an infield hit that eluded Seattle reliever Brandon League and second baseman Chone Figgins. Andrus added a two-run double Saturday that looked like a routine fly to left-center and fell for a hit because left fielder Milton Bradley thought center fielder Franklin Gutierrez was covering the gap.

The Rangers shortstop has hit safely in all five games against the Mariners, going 8 for 21.

Texas last swept a series in Seattle (11-13) from April 13-15, 1999 at the Kingdome. The Rangers are 39-55 all-time at Safeco Field.

Wilson (2-1, 1.75 ERA) will try to add to the Mariners' woes after winning his last two starts. He gave up two runs over six innings Tuesday in a 4-2 victory over the White Sox.

The left-hander's ERA is the lowest by a Texas pitcher after four outings since Kevin Brown had a 1.14 ERA in 1993. This also is Wilson's first time beginning the year in the rotation.

"Getting off to a good start is important, but my goal is to have a great season," Wilson told the Rangers' official website. "But it's better to get off to a good start, rather than try to crawl out from behind a rock."

In his major league debut, Wilson allowed four runs over two-plus innings and did not get a decision in a 4-2 loss at Seattle on July 5, 2005. That was his only start against the Mariners, and he has a 5.01 ERA against them in 37 relief appearances since.

A similarly unheralded starting pitcher will go for Seattle in Doug Fister (2-1, 1.67), who has lasted at least seven innings in three straight outings. He allowed two runs over eight innings April 24 in his last start, and did not receive a decision in a 5-4 road loss to the White Sox.

"The more outings he has like the last three and you tend to trust your stuff," manager Don Wakamatsu told the Mariners' official website. "His ball moves and he has angles."

Fister has a 0.60 ERA in winning both home starts this year. The right-hander yielded five runs and a career-high 10 hits over 4 2-3 innings in a 7-2 loss at Texas on Sept. 13 in his lone career start versus the Rangers (12-12).