Mariners Game Notes: M’s Return Home to Face Cole Hamels
The Seattle Mariners (50-59) are back home in the Emerald City tonight to host the Texas Rangers (54-53) in the opener of a 3-game weekend series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 pm from the corner of Edgar & Dave. Hisashi Iwakuma (2-2, 4.47 ERA) will get the ball for the M’s on Friday night. Seattle fans will get their first glimpse of Cole Hamels (0-0, 5.87 ERA) in a Rangers’ uniform when he toes the rubber for Texas. Root Sports Northwest will carry the game live locally, and MLB.tv subscribers can watch worldwide on connected devices.
More from Mariners News
- 2023 Steamer Projections: Teoscar Hernandez could see a drop in Seattle
- Steamer Projections: Julio Rodriguez to enter rarified air in 2023
- What if the Mariners traded FOR Tyler O’Neill this time?
- Mariners starting pitching is being overlooked by MLB
- Baking the Cake: An Adjusted Mariners Offseason Plan
The M’s enter play tonight 10.5 games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West. Seattle is 7.5 games out in the hunt for the wildcard.
Mariners’ skipper Lloyd McClendon and Rangers’ boss Jeff Banister have released the following lineups for tonight’s series lid-lifter:
James Paxton Progressing
It was reported by Bob Dutton of The News Tribune before the game on Friday that James Paxton is tentatively expected to throw a bullpen session on Sunday. Paxton has been sidelined since May 28th with a finger ailment, and this is the first positive report about his condition since the injury. Pax-Man is 3-3 with a 3.70 ERA through 10 starts this season. The 26-year-old southpaw will undoubtably require a rehab assignment before being activated from the disabled list. However, I expect we will see the Ladner, BC product pitch again before the end of the season.
May 28, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager (15) waits for the next batter to come to the plate against the Cleveland Indians during the third inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Pick to Click
This week has been fun for Mariners’ fans to watch from an offensive perspective. Everyone in the lineup is producing right now. For the first time all season, we are getting a chance to see what this team is capable of when Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz are firing on all cylinders at the same time. I expect both of of those guys to contribute, but I am going with Kyle Seager as my pick to click tonight. Seags is hitting .308 this season against left-handers, and he is slugging .508. The All-Star third baseman is hitting .313 over the last month with 4 home runs and 6 RBI’s. I predict Seager will finish 2 for 4 with a double and a solo home run on Friday night at Safeco Field.
Final Score Prediction
The Mariners are playing some of their best baseball of the season over the last week, and hopefully that trend continues tonight in an important game against a division rival. The bullpen remains a big worry, but the recent performance of the starting pitching and offense has been very encouraging. Scoring runs has not been a problem for the M’s as of late, but they will be in tough with Cole Hamels on the mound for Texas this evening. However, this is a must win series for Seattle if they have any hope of making a postseason push over the final couple months, and I expect them to play with a sense of urgency. I predict a 4-3 win this evening in the series opener.
Next: The Renaissance of Franklin Gutierrez
More from SoDo Mojo
- 2023 Steamer Projections: Teoscar Hernandez could see a drop in Seattle
- Could the Mariners Acquire AL Batting Champion, Luis Arraez?
- Steamer Projections: Julio Rodriguez to enter rarified air in 2023
- What if the Mariners traded FOR Tyler O’Neill this time?
- Mariners starting pitching is being overlooked by MLB