SEATTLE -- In a division rivalry that has been one-sided but has featured plenty of offense from both teams, Texas Rangers starter Martin Perez did the unthinkable against Seattle last Wednesday.The 25-year-old left-hander actually kept the Mariners off the scoreboard.That has been a rarity when the teams have played this season, and Perez and the Rangers will get another shot at Seattle on Tuesday night.Texas (82-56) owns an 11-5 record against the Mariners this season but has allowed seven or more runs in six of those games. The latest came Monday afternoon, when Seattle posted five first-inning runs and two more in the second against Rangers starter Cole Hamels on the way to a 14-6 win.It marked the second consecutive start for Hamels against Seattle, and he allowed 14 hits and 13 runs in six innings over those two outings. While Hamels had some blister issues in recent starts, manager Jeff Banister said health was not an issue in his recent struggles.As Hamels said: Its just a matter of not executing pitches. ... I feel good. Its just, unfortunately, Im not doing what I know Im capable of doing.Sandwiched between the Hamels starts was Perezs six innings of shutout ball. It was an outlier not only in this rivalry but also for Perez, who had allowed six earned runs in each of his previous two starts. He is 9-10 with a 4.30 ERA on the season.Silencing the Seattle bats for a second start in a row might be a tough task. The Mariners (70-67) rank third in the American League in home runs with 186, one more than the Rangers have hit. Seattle piled up 14 hits Monday, getting huge contributions from right-handed platoon players Franklin Gutierrez (3-for-4, four RBI) and Dae-Ho Lee (2-for-5, three RBI).Its not a secret that were not having the best record against left-handed pitching, Gutierrez said after the win. Its important for us to do our job, get on base and play our game.Gutierrez and Lee are likely to be in the lineup again Tuesday, as the Rangers will throw another southpaw at the Mariners. The last three times Seattle faced a left-handed Texas starter, the Mariners scored a total of 25 runs.The offensive outburst Monday came a little too late for the Mariners to get back into the AL West race, as their final glimmer of hope was extinguished last week when they were swept in Texas.Seattle is still within five games of the ALs second wild-card spot, but there are plenty of teams in the mix. It might take a minor miracle for the Mariners to overtake the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros and New York Yankees in that crowded race.Were going to fight until the end and see what happens after the last game, Gutierrez said.Seattle will send left-hander James Paxton (4-5, 3.83 ERA) to the mound Tuesday. Paxton came out of his last start with a torn fingernail, so the Mariners gave him an extra day between starts to get healthy.Paxton has already made two starts against the Rangers this season, going 0-0 with a 3.18 ERA.Stitched NBA Jerseys . Howard Ganz, an MLB lawyer, said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos that Rodriguezs claims do not come "remotely close" to what is needed to overturn an arbitration decision in federal court. Nike NBA Jerseys China . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. https://www.nbachinajerseys.us/ . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. NBA Jerseys Store . Collaros, 25, was solid last season, posting a 5-2 record as the starter while incumbent Ricky Ray was injured. Collaros also started Torontos 23-20 regular-season finale loss to Montreal — Ray didnt dress because the Argos had already clinched first in the East Division — but was one of three quarterbacks to play that day. NBA Jerseys China .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final.Coming off of a historic year for racing in 2015, it was going to be hard for 2016 to live up to what we experienced last year. But somehow, 2016 managed to not only keep the momentum of last year going, it built upon the energy generated by American Pharoahs magical Triple Crown and Breeders Cup sweep.This year saw the making of new stars and the reinforcement of the legendary status of others. On this Thanksgiving week, lets take a look back at what we were most thankful for in racing this year.Emergence of New StarsEach year brings with it the excitement of a fresh 3-year-old crop and anticipation over whether any of the contenders has what it takes to make a serious Triple Crown bid. Although Nyquist dominated his division earlier in the year, he couldnt maintain it later in the year as new stars emerged; tops among them was Breeders Cup Classic winner Arrogate.Arrogate became the story in racing for the second half of the year after running down potential Horse of the Year California Chrome. But even before that, Arrogate put up a performance for the ages in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Hard-pressed throughout the early stages of the race, Arrogate was still able to kick clear to a 13-1/2-length victory while smashing the track record.Other emerging stars who showed flashes of greatness in 2016 were Sentient Jet Breeders Cup Juvenile hero Classic Empire and Bob Bafferts new sprinting star Drefong. We were thankful to watch them break out this year and eagerly await whats in store for them in 2017.Miracle of Lady EliPerfection. Thats what Lady Eli stood for through the first six races of her career, from late 2014 to July 4 of last year when she cruised to victory in the Belmont Oaks. Sadly, following that race she stepped on a nail and developed laminitis in both of her front feet. The disease could have ended her life, ignoring entirely what it might have meant for a racing career that started with so much promise.As 2016 progressed, word spread that Lady Eli was making a miraculous recovery and was doing well as she trained for an improbable return to the races. In late August, Lady Eli did indeed come back and bravely battled to a second-place finish in the Ballston Spa at Saratoga. If that wasnt remarkable enough, the filly returned in October to win the Flower Bowl at Belmont. She capped off her return run with another impressive second-place finish in the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf.We were thankful just to see Lady Eli make it through her battle away from the track. In a lot of ways, her race results didnt even matter. Yet the fact that she returned and excelled only made her story more incredible.Consistency of ChromeWith the aforementioned retirement of American Pharoah, racing fans were desperate for a star to stand by in 2016 -- they found it in California Chrome. While some dismissed Chromes 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness run as a fluke (given his extremely modest pedigree), the California-bred chestnut already had a large following of Chromies behind him before he even raced this year. Once he hit the track, he gave his faithful fans even more to cheer about.Chrome wwas nearly perfect in 2016.dddddddddddd. After winning the San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita in January, he cruised to victory next out in a handicap in Dubai and then capped off the early part of his year with a dominant performance in the Dubai World Cup. After a four-month break, Chrome came back as sharp as ever, winning three more races highlighted by a five-length win over Beholder in the Pacific Classic.California Chrome took our breath away, time and time again, in 2016 -- and were thankful for it.Battle for the AgesGoing into the Breeders Cup Distaff, the level of hype was immeasurable for the anticipated showdown of then-undefeated champion filly Songbird and the three-time champion older mare Beholder. Although it was unimaginable when they entered the gate for the Distaff, the race managed to somehow exceed expectations.Songbird, facing older and battle-tested horses, continued to make it look easy as she glided to the lead right from the break. With her mind-boggling high cruising speed, there was no one who could, or perhaps even wanted to, keep up with her. When Beholder was asked to run down Songbird, she tried, and then she tried some more. Eventually, Beholders class was on full display as she caught up with her younger foe. From there, the battle to the wire was nothing short of epic.The only shame, from a storytelling perspective, was that the race didnt end in a dead heat -- it might have perhaps symbolized the truest of torch-passings from Beholder to Songbird. Still, there was nothing that could be taken away from Songbird, and there was something quite special about seeing a mare like Beholder go out on top in her final career race.While were talking fillies and mares, lets not forget the incredible performances posted by other ladies this year, including Tepin, Catch a Glimpse, Miss Temple City and Cavorting, to name a few.The People StoriesWhile these sometimes get lost, we are ever grateful for the people who put on the show and who make the incredible sport of racing run. From the backstretch workers to the racetrack employees and outriders to the jockeys and horsemen who are up early every single day, we are thankful. Were also thankful for all of the Thoroughbred aftercare organizations who make sure that so many horses have a place to live and a purpose once their careers on the track come to an end.From jockey Anne Von Rosens recovery from a severe riding accident to Simon Brays courageous battle with multiple myeloma, there are so many others who amazed, astonished and overcame in 2016. We are thankful for them and for all of the people who give everything they have to put on the best show possible on daily basis. Were thankful for the horse bettors, those who keep us fashionably aware and those who know how to make the most of a day at the races. We certainly enjoyed many unforgettable race days in 2016 -- and theres still some time left in the year to make some more memories.For more stories like this check out Americas Best Racing. ' ' '