Seattle Mariners Gameday Preview versus the Twins

The Mariners are 49-40, still 3rd place in a stacked AL West division. Hisashi Iwakuma was dealing last night with 10 Ks over 7 scoreless innings. The Mariners won behind home runs by Zunino and Saunders, winning 2-0.

Iwakuma is lifetime 5-0 with a 0.00 ERA against the Twins in 6 starts.

Game Details:

Seattle Mariners 49-40. Last 10: 7-3.

Minnesota Twins: 39-49. Last 10: 3-7.

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

MATCHUPS:

Pitching:

Seattle Mariners RHP Chris Young (8-4, 3.11 ERA) v. Minnesota Twins Phil Hughes (8-5, 3.95 ERA)

EDGE: Young. Despite less than stellar peripherals (ahem ahem FIP), Chris Young has been one of the most pleasant surprises in Major League Baseball this season. Already at 8 wins, he is a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year no doubt. Hughes has been solid, but this Minnesota Twins offense is so susceptible to getting  shutdown by middle of the rotation pitching.

Lineups:

Mariners:

Michael Saunders 9

James Jones 8

Robinson Cano 4

Kyle Seager 5

Logan Morrison 3

Corey Hart DH

Dustin Ackley 7

Mike Zunino 2

Brad Miller 6

Of Note: with only 5 hits in last night’s contest it is a minor miracle the M’s won. Thank God for a masterful performance from Iwakuma and the bullpen. Zunino clubbed his 13th home run of the season. He actually leads all AL catchers with his 13 home runs.

Twins:

Brian Dozier 4

Eduardo Nunez 5

Kurt Suzuki 2

Kendrys Morales DH

Josh Willingham 7

Oswaldo Arcia 9

Chris Colabello 3

Eduardo Escobar 6

Sam Fuld 8

Of Note: the Twins fared even worse offensively last night, with only 4 hits and no runs. Iwakuma and Co. absolutely baffled the Twins offense, with 12 strikeouts and utter domination. However, Joe Mauer is currently on the DL, which has a lot to do with this teams offensive struggle.

Other Notes:

If the Mariners win tonight, they will stand at 50-40. Last season through 90 games, the Mariners were 40-50. That is an impressive turnaround if it’s possible. Moreover, the Mariners would be leading the AL East or the NL East if they were in those divisions. Alas that is no consolation, and this team needs to keep winning to make the playoffs.

Final Thoughts:

The Mariners offense has been quiet for almost a week… it’s time for them to break out against Hughes and get back to offensive productivity. Chris Young is nasty in the confines of Safeco Field, and will again benefit from the spacious outfield.

Score Prediction:

Mariners 5, Twins 2.