The Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners lock horns Thursday, August 12, 2021, to wrap up a three-game series at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, so let’s take a closer look at this American League West showdown and get the best Rangers vs. Mariners betting pick.

Excluding the middle clash of this set, the Mariners are 8-6 against the Rangers in 2021, but Texas has won the previous three duels, including Tuesday’s opener, 5-4. According to Jazzsports Sportsbook, Seattle is a -188 fave for Thursday’s closer, while Texas sits at +173 moneyline odds with a total of 8.5 runs.

The Rangers have been a disaster since the All-Star

The Texas Rangers put an end to their six-game losing streak with that 5-4 victory over the Mariners, improving to 40-73 on the season. They’ve dropped 18 of their 23 contests since the All-Star break, posting the third-highest ERA in the majors (5.89) to go with a horrible .177/.237/.301 batting line.

Mike Foltynewicz will get the nod Thursday, and the 29-year-old righty is 2-10 with a poor 5.77 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 22 starts this season. Folty has been sharp in each of his previous two starts, allowing three earned runs on five hits and six walks across 11 innings of work.

Still, Foltynewicz is 0-4 with a 5.29 ERA in five career starts and a couple of relief appearances against Seattle. He’s met the Mariners four times so far this term, yielding 12 earned runs on 19 hits and six walks through 25.2 innings.

The Mariners are having a rough August 

The Seattle Mariners have lost six of their first nine contests in August, scoring just 33 runs in the process and slashing .236/.312/.358. They’ve also recorded a shiny 2.71 ERA, but the lack of offense will cost the Mariners a lot in 2021. Seattle was 59-55 and five and a half games behind the bottom wild card in the American League on Wednesday.

Marc Gonzales will take the hill Thursday against the Rangers, and the 29-year-old lefty is 3-5 with a 4.73 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 15 starts in 2021. He’s done an excellent job over his last two outings, allowing just one earned run across 12.2 innings of work and getting a couple of no-decisions against the Rangers and Yankees.

Gonzales met Texas twice in 2021 and got pounded for seven earned runs in a 7-3 loss on July 3. The southpaw bounced back on the first day of August, firing six frames of a one-run ball. He’s 6-6 with a 4.29 ERA in 14 career starts against the Rangers.

Trends:

Texas:

  • 1-6 in the last seven games overall
  • 1-14 in the last 14 games on the road
  • 2-14 in the last 16 road tilts against Seattle

Seattle:

  • 14-6 in the last 20 games against Texas

Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners Pick

The Mariners still have a slim chance to sneak into the playoffs, so beating the Rangers at home is a must. They need to get things going at the dish, and this is a favorable matchup with Mike Foltynewicz, so I’m taking the M’s to win.

Seattle has done a superb job on the mound lately. The Mariners should have enough firepower to deal with the worst offense in the majors and, hopefully, score some runs at home.

Pick: Take Seattle Mariners at -188

The Total:

Betting on the under is a logical choice, considering the Rangers’ and Mariners’ offensive woes. The over has hit in eight of their previous 14 encounters, but the under is 6-1 in Seattle’s last seven games overall.

The Mariners bullpen has a 3.18 ERA in August, while the Rangers’ relievers carry a 3.58 ERA. T-Mobile Park is a pitcher-friendly ballpark and ranks fourth in the majors, so I’m backing the under. 

Pick: Go under 8.5 runs at -105