Seattle Mariners Gameday Preview: Mariners Versus Angels

Initial Thoughts:

Happy Happy Felix Day to all! After last night’s loss, the M’s are again below .500: the teeter totter continues.

Can today bring them back to .5o0? Against an Angels team they have been surprisingly good against this season?

Game Details:

Seattle Mariners 25-26. Last 10: (5-5).

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 29-22. Last 10: (7-3).

Game Time: 7:10 PM Pacific. Location: Seattle, Washington. Safeco Field.

MATCHUPS:

Pitching:

Seattle Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez (6-1, 2.75 ERA) v. L.A. Angels LHP C.J. Wilson (6-3, 3.00 ERA)

EDGE: Felix. Yes, Wilson has arguably pitched better than the Angels’ ace Weaver so far this season. But Felix is still King. His last outing was dominant, and he always seems to put on his game face when the divisional opponents roll into town. He really feeds off the energy of the King’s Court.

Lineups:

Mariners:

James Jones 8

Stefen Romero 9

Robinson Cano 4

Justin Smoak 3

Kyle Seager 5

John Buck DH

Dustin Ackley 7

Mike Zunino 2

Nick Franklin 6

Of Note: I hope anyone who has been complaining about Cano’s ‘lack of power’ has taken a chill pill. He has been one of the best hitters in baseball this season– and he is already a notoriously slow starter. At .333, he is the only regular batting over .300, and continues to carry the gut of this lineup.

Angels:

Howie Kendrick 4

Mike Trout 8

Albert Pujols 3

David Freese 5

Raul Ibanez DH

Erick Aybar 6

Kole Calhoun 9

Hank Conger 2

Collin Cowgill 7

Of Note: The Angels jumped on Roenis Elias early last night and added a few runs late to maintain the lead and preserve the win. Trout’s average has climbed up to .280, and he seems to be inching out of his slump. Keep your fingers crossed that he doesn’t decide to bust out of it in the next two games against the M’s.

Other Notes:

Lots of activity coming from the Mariners yesterday. They signed Xavier Nady, but that was the extent of the good news. James Paxton was pushed back at least a week with inflammation. And Stephen Pryor was placed on the Minor League DL after a long recovery from season-ending surgery last season.

Final Thoughts:

King Felix reigns supreme in Seattle. And he knows how important these games are. After having found his groove in the last few outings, expect him to be dominant and squelch any rallies from the Angels’ lineup.

Will the Mariners score enough runs? That always seems to be the question. But even 2 runs should be enough tonight.

Score Prediction:

Mariners 3, Angels 1.