4/25/14: Open game thread

Earlier this week, when the Mariners were in the middle of their eight-game skid, I took to Twitter with this bold prediction:

With the Mariners doing so poorly against bad teams, it only makes sense that they'd sweep the Rangers this weekend... right?

— Ashley (@wcoastfangirl) April 23, 2014

It was made tongue-in-cheek at the time, but looks even sillier in light of today's lineup. Lloyd McClendon is giving Brad Miller and Dustin Ackley a day off, which means that Willie Bloomquist is batting second in the order and new call-up Cole Gillespie will be taking over in left field.

Gillespie is a 29-year-old outfielder who has yet to find lasting success with any major league club. He split his playing time with the Giants and Cubs in 2013, finishing his stint in San Francisco with one walk and zero hits in 10 plate appearances and gathering more strikeouts than hits in Chicago. Scott wrote more extensively on Gillespie yesterday, attributing many of his struggles to a lack of opportunities.

Rangers' southpaw Robbie Ross is taking the mound for the fifth start of his career. Small sample sizes notwithstanding, Ross crafted his best and longest start against the M's last Tuesday, striking out two batters and giving up five hits and zero runs in 7 2/3 innings. Elias, by comparison, has been perfectly adequate in the rotation as the M's wait for Taijuan Walker, Hisashi Iwakuma, and James Paxton to return to the staff. While Henderson Alvarez tossed a two-hitter in Marlins Park, Elias issued eight hits, five walks, and five strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. On the plus side, he also exhibited the first signs of a promising change-up.

Game info

• Mariners vs. Rangers, 7:10 p.m. PST
• Tonight's game will be televised on ROOT Sports, broadcast on 710 ESPN, and available for out-of-market fans at MLB TV here.
• Game day giveaway: Mariners (Retro) Beard Hat Night. Appropriate hashtag: #BeardMe.
• With Nick Franklin back in Tacoma, the M's have recalled Lucas Luetge to fill out the 25-man roster.
  

Lineups