The Texas Rangers are one of the hottest teams in the majors, and they're hot on the heels of the Houston Astros in the AL West. Texas will take on the Mariners in Seattle on Monday, and I like the visitors with a superior starting pitcher on the mound.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Yovanni Gallardo will be on the hill for the Rangers, and he's won four in a row. Gallardo (11-9, 3.27 ERA) allowed four runs on six hits over five innings in a win over the Padres in his last outing. He's 4-1 with a 4.86 ERA in his last nine starts. The Mariners counter with Roenis Elias, who owns a home record of 1-3 with a 4.38 ERA in six starts. He's also 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA two starts in day games.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Gallardo has owned the Mariners lineup, limiting them to a .179 batting average over 79 at bats. Kyle Seager and Robinson Cano are a combined 0-for-11 versus the right-hander.

3. X-Factor - The Mariners are 3-7 in their last 10 games as an underdog.

Selection: This is a play on the Texas Rangers (10*)