Texas Rangers (87-73) at Seattle Mariners (83-77), 9:10 p.m.

Sports Network | October 3, 2009

(Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers take aim at their third straight win this evening when they continue a season-ending three-game set with the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

Texas drew first blood in this series on Friday, as Taylor Teagarden had the go-ahead RBI single in the ninth inning, and the Rangers scored three times with two outs in the final frame to pull out a 7-4 win.

"Bottom line is they scored a lot of runs with two outs," said Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu. "We had an opportunity late in that ballgame to break open that tie and we didn't do it with two outs."

Elvis Andrus knocked in a pair of runs for the Rangers, while Julio Borbon and Michael Young drove in a run each, as did Omar Vizquel and Chris Davis.

Brandon McCarthy lasted 4 2/3 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits with five punchouts but got a no-decision. C.J. Wilson (5-6) got the win after retiring the final two batters in the eighth.

Mike Carp went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI for the Mariners, who had a three- game winning streak halted. Adrian Beltre had an RBI and Jose Lopez went 2- for-4 with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.

Ian Snell lasted six innings and was touched for three runs on nine hits to get a no-decision. David Aardsma (3-6) absorbed the loss.

Heading to the hill for the Rangers tonight will be 23-year-old right-hander Tommy Hunter, who is coming off an awful outing in his last start. Hunter did not make it out of the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Monday, as he was hit for seven runs (six earned) and seven hits in just 2 1/3 frames, dropping him to 9-5, while raising his ERA to 4.10.

Hunter has faced the Mariners three times, going 1-1 in those outings with a 2.25 ERA.

Seattle, meanwhile, will counter with lefty Ryan Rowland-Smith, who is 4-4 with a 3.91 ERA. Rowland-Smith was charged with the loss his last time out on Sunday in Toronto, as the Blue Jays reached him for five runs and seven hits in seven innings.

This will be Rowland-Smith's first-ever start against the Rangers, but he has faced them seven times out of the bullpen without recording a decision, allowing them just one earned run in 10 2/3 innings of those outings.

Texas has won 11 of the 17 matchups between these divisional foes so far this season, and has won four of the seven games taken place at Safeco Field.