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After a long three days of no Mariners baseball, we’re finally treated to a four-game set against the Rangers. And we have some new faces in the lineup!
Mariners-Rangers lineups, 6:10 p.m. PT tonight at T-Mobile Park as M's back to action after last 3 games vs. A's postponed. pic.twitter.com/CScoJJ01Z7
— Greg Johns (@GregJohnsMLB) September 4, 2020
At last, we get our first looks at a couple pieces in Ty France and Luis Torrens from last week’s Austin Nola blockbuster. Dylan Moore has also returned, and it seems like Shed Long, Jr. just slid down the depth chart:
With Ty France now in the mix and Dylan Moore back from the IL, M's will move Shed Long Jr. around a bit more. Could still see him at second, but also some in left or at DH.
— Lauren Smith (@smithlm12) September 4, 2020
Despite this, this is one of the more intriguing lineups of the season, with every slot being filled by someone who doesn’t make you want to look away in horror (apologies to Joseph Odom). Though Nola’s bat will be missed, I’m very excited to see what France and Torrens can offer, and am particularly interesting in seeing Torrens’s work behind the dish tonight.
With Texas once again running out a righty-heavy lineup, expect to see plenty of inside cutters from Yusei Kikuchi tonight, and maybe that changeup will poke its head out every so often. Kyle Cody, a former college teammate of Evan White, makes his first career start after getting his feet wet with a handful of scoreless relief outings. Cody was a Tommy John victim back in 2018, and didn’t pitch at all last year. In a tiny sample, his fastball has sat around 96 MPH, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see that go down a tick or two in a starting role.
Game Time: 6:10 PDT
TV: ROOT SPORTS NW, MLB.tv
Radio: 710 ESPN, MLB At Bat