Rangers @ Mariners OVER 9

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- The Seattle Mariners open their final homestand of the season on Monday night when they begin a four-game series with the Texas Rangers.

Seattle is eight games behind Oakland in the race for the American League wild card and needs to play near-perfect down the stretch if it hopes to gain a third straight playoff spot. The Mariners ended a six-game skid with a 6-3 victory at Oakland on Sunday.

Edgar Martinez hit a two-run homer and Bret Boone hit a two-run single in a three-run rally in the sixth inning for Seattle. The three runs for the Mariners in the sixth snapped a 3-3 tie.

Seattle won 10 of the first 12 meetings against Texas this season before the Rangers dealt a damaging blow to the Mariners' playoff with a four-game sweep in Arlington last week. The Rangers had a pair of one-run victories in that series and outhomered the Mariners, 7-4.

Freddy Garcia (15-10, 4.37 ERA) makes his fourth start of the season against Texas when he gets the baseball for Seattle. Garcia is 1-1 with a 4.19 ERA in those outings but did not receive a decision last Wednesday when he allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings in a 4-3 defeat.

The righthander is just 4-5 with a 5.95 ERA in 12 starts since the All-Star break and is just 7-5 with a 4.08 ERA at home this season. His 10 losses are a career high.

Texas was swept over the weekend in a three-game series at first-place Anaheim, including a 13-4 pounding on Sunday evening. Ivan Rodriguez connected for his 17th home but a rough outing by starter Kenny Rogers put them in a 5-0 hole after one inning.

Colby Lewis (1-2, 5.95) makes his second career start for the Rangers. Lewis opposed Garcia last Wednesday and did not figure in the decision when he surrendered a pair of runs and six hits in seven innings.

The 23-year-old righthander made 11 relief appearances for Texas this season and also went 5-6 with a 3.60 ERA in 20 starts with Class AAA Oklahoma of the Pacific Coast League.