Seattle Mariners Gameday Preview Versus the Indians

The Mariners are 43-37 after last night’s 3-2 win over the Indians. Tonight, the Mariners reload against the Tribe at Safeco Field.

Game Details:

Seattle Mariners: 43-37. Last 10: 7-3.

Cleveland Indians: 38-41. Last 10: 4-6.

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

MATCHUPS:

Pitching:

Seattle Mariners LHP Roenis Elias (7-5, 3.74 ERA) v. Cleveland Indians RHP Josh Tomlin (4-5, 4.39 ERA)

EDGE: Elias. Elias continues to be solid in the rotation for the Mariners, while Tomlin has been serviceable– but not great– for the Tribe. The Mariners are on a roll right now, especially at Safeco, and Elias is going to contribute to that Mojo.

Lineups:

Mariners:

Endy Chavez DH

James Jones 8

Robinson Cano 4

Kyle Seager 5

Logan Morrison 3

Mike Zunino 2

Michael Saunders 9

Dustin Ackley 7

Brad Miller 6

Of Note: Saunders went 2-4 last night in his return from the DL. Brad Miller has been on the upswing, and Chavez won the game for the Mariners with his first home run since last May against the Padres.

Indians:

Michael Bourn 8

Asdrubal Cabrera 6

Michael Brantley 7

Carlos Santana DH

Jason Kipnis 4

Yan Gomes 2

Nick Swisher 3

Ryan Raburn 9

Mike Aviles 5

Of Note: Swisher has had a truly tough season for the Indians this year. He is batting under .200, and though his free and fun spirit is still refreshing in the clubhouse, his production offensively has left this team struggling.

Final Thoughts:

If the Mariners pull out the victory tonight, they will be 44-37 at the halfway point of this season. This would put them on pace for an 88-win season, which should be enough to keep them in the thick of the Wild-Card race. With Taijuan Walker presumably returning on Monday, and James Paxton working bullpen sessions, more arms are soon to come into the fold.

The real question will be if the Ms can find offensive production from the corner outfield spots and the DH position. When Corey Hart and Justin Smoak get healthy again, that may spur this team forward. It is great to have Saunders back in the lineup as well.

The Mariners roll tonight, keeping up this rare combination of good pitching, great defense, and enough offensive to win the ballgame.

Score Prediction:

Mariners 4, Indians 2.