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8/26: Open Game Thread

Joe Saunders vs. Travis Blackley

welcome back!
welcome back!
Otto Greule Jr

It's a day full of returns to Safeco for the Mariners, featuring the return of oft-injured CF RF Franklin Gutierrez against former top pitching prospect Travis Blackley. Blackley's had a rough go of things in 2013, mostly because of an unenviable bout of gopheritis in Houston. While pitching at Minute Maid Park, he somehow managed to allow 10 home runs while facing only 101 batters. That's a 10% home run rate. MLB home run leader Chris Davis has an 8.5% home run rate.

The funny thing is that Blackley and Saunders are otherwise not so different. Just goes to show the difference that a home park can make. Speaking of home parks, both teams in this game are doing their best to overcome the Safeco factor by throwing a very RH-heavy lineup out there, which in the Mariners' case involves giving Franklin Gutierrez a not-so-gentle reintroduction into the lineup. Specifically, into the #3 slot in the lineup. Can I just say how funny it is to have Dustin Ackley in center field and Franklin Gutierrez in right? It's almost as funny as bumping Nick Franklin above Brad Miller in the lineup because Miller can only bat lefty while Franklin "can" "also" "bat" righty.

If nothing else, this should be an entertaining one. Go, Guti!

Lineups:

Texas Rangers Pos. Seattle Mariners Pos.
1 Craig Gentry CF 1 Nick Franklin 2B
2 Elvis Andrus SS 2 Brad Miller SS
3 Ian Kinsler 2B 3 Franklin Gutierrez RF
4 Adrian Beltre 3B 4 Kendrys Morales DH
5 A.J. Pierzynski C 5 Kyle Seager 3B
6 Alex Rios RF 6 Michael Morse LF
7 Jeff Baker LF 7 Justin Smoak 1B
8 Mitch Moreland 1B 8 Dustin Ackley CF
9 Jurickson Profar DH 9 Humberto Quintero C