Texas Rangers (86-73) at Seattle Mariners (83-76), 10:10 p.m.

Sports Network | October 2, 2009

(Sports Network) - Two American League West teams that showed improvement in 2009 wrap up their respective seasons with a three-game set that starts tonight at Safeco Field, where the Seattle Mariners will host the Texas Rangers.

Seattle has put together one of the most noticeable turnarounds of the year, rebounding strongly from a brutal 61-101 2008 campaign to enter this final series with 83 wins. Texas was in the thick of the AL playoff race until fading down the stretch and has compiled an 86-73 record thus far, the franchise's most victories since winning 89 times in 2004.

The Mariners have been the hotter of the two clubs of late, having just produced a three-game home sweep of Oakland that was capped by Thursday's 4-2 triumph. Rookie Doug Fister threw seven outstanding innings to lead the way, while both Adrian Beltre and Mike Sweeney knocked in a pair of runs to pace Seattle offensively.

Fister limited the Athletics to one run on five hits and struck out four to improve to 3-4 on the year. The young right-hander threw 70 of his 103 pitches for strikes.

Beltre finished 2-for-4 with a home run and Sweeney snapped a 1-1 deadlock with a clutch two-out single in the fifth that brought home Adam Moore and Franklin Gutierrez.

"I'm thankful that hit helped us win the ballgame tonight, because Fister pitched great and our bullpen was lights out as always," said Sweeney. "It was definitely a team effort, but I'm thankful I was able to contribute."

Texas was able to halt a four-game slide with yesterday's 11-3 rout of the AL West champion Angels in Anaheim, with the team's offense coming alive with a 15-hit onslaught. The win was only the sixth in the Rangers' last 18 tilts.

Chris Davis went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBI and was one of six Texas batters with multiple hits. Elvis Andrus ended 2-for-5 and knocked in two runs, coming through with an RBI double during a six-run sixth inning that broke a 3-3 tie.

That offensive outburst was more than enough support for Kevin Millwood (13-10), who went the distance on a seven-hitter and matched a season-high with 10 strikeouts in his final outing of 2009.

"I located well and I was able to spot my fastball," Millwood said. "I didn't want to quit; it's my last chance to play for awhile, so I wanted to stay out there as long as I could."

Brandon McCarthy will try to give the Rangers another extended start when he toes the rubber in tonight's opener. The right-hander is coming off a hard- luck no-decision against Tampa Bay on Sunday, a game in which he allowed two unearned runs over 7 2/3 innings of work.

McCarthy has made five starts since coming back from a three-month stint on the disabled list caused by a stress fracture in his right shoulder blade. Over that time period, the 26-year-old has posted a 2-2 record with a 3.45 earned run average and has held enemy hitters to a .215 average.

He faced the Mariners once this season prior to the injury and gave up four runs on three homers in a seven-inning no-decision at Rangers Ballpark on May 13. McCarthy is 1-2 with a 6.46 ERA in four starts and two relief appearances lifetime against Seattle, with both losses coming at Safeco Field. Over the course of those two games, the 6-foot-7 hurler has been rocked for seven runs in just 2 2/3 innings.

Ian Snell draws the assignment for the Mariners this evening and will be out to deliver another strong recent start. The midseason acquisition has compiled a 5-1 record and an impressive 2.80 ERA over his last eight mound trips, having surrendered two runs or less six times during that span.

Since coming over to Seattle as part of a five-player trade with Pittsburgh in late July, Snell has gone 5-2 with a 4.17 ERA in 11 starts. The right-hander is 3-1 in six Safeco Field appearances since the trade, but has pitched to a 5.16 ERA in his new home park.

Snell has opposed the Rangers once since the trade and received a no-decision at Arlington back on August 2, despite allowing two runs and just three hits through six innings. He also fired a complete-game seven-hitter in an 8-1 victory over Texas while with the Pirates on June 13, 2007.

In his most recent time out, Snell held Toronto to two runs -- one earned -- and struck out seven in a 6 2/3-inning no-decision at Toronto on Saturday.

Texas has won 10 of the 16 matchups between these divisional foes so far this season, with the clubs having split six games taken place at Safeco Field.