Mariners Game Notes: King Felix Looks to Make History

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The Seattle Mariners (70-75) will battle the Los Angeles Angels (72-71) on Tuesday night at Safeco Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 pm from the corner of Edgar & Dave. Felix Hernandez (17-8, 3.49 ERA) will be on the bump for the Mariners, and Nick Tropeano (1-2, 5.66 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Halos. Root Sports Northwest will carry the game live locally, and MLB.tv subscribers can watch worldwide on connected devices.

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Seattle is now just 7.5 games behind the American League West leading Houston Astros. The Mariners kept pace in the wildcard race with last night’s win, as they remain 7 games out.

Mariners’ skipper Lloyd McClendon and Angels’ boss Mike Scioscia have released the following lineups for tonight’s game:

Pitching Preview

Felix Hernandez will make his 29th start of the season on Tuesday night for Seattle. The Mariners’ ace enters play tonight tied for the league lead with 17 wins. On the surface, his season has been very impressive. However, a closer look reveals that his 3.49 ERA is his worst mark since the 2007 season. King Felix has been extremely successful against the Halos in 2015, going 3-0 with a 0.67 ERA through four outings. If Felix can win tonight, he will join Freddy Garcia, Jamie Moyer and Hisashi Iwakuma as the only M’s to tally four wins against the Angels in a single season.

Nick Tropeano was acquired but the Angels this past offseason from the Houston Astros. The 25-year-old right-hander has made four starts with the Halos in 2015, going 1-2 and posting a 5.66 ERA. Tropeano made his big league debut at Safeco Field last season with the Astros, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits through 5 innings en route to earning his first career win. Hopefully, the Mariners are a little less welcoming tonight.

Pick to Click

Aug 18, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Brad Miller (5) during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Mariners defeat the Rangers 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Brad Miller has been dealing with back spasms, and has not started since September 11. However, he did finish the game last night, and tonight he gets the call in center field for Seattle. Miller has hit the ball hard over the last couple weeks, registering a .333 batting average with 2 doubles, 1 triple and 5 RBI since August 29. Crazy Legs boasts a .320/400/.480 slash line in his eight games as a center fielder. Miller has gone 1 for 2 against Tropeano during his career. I am predicting the 25-year-old will contribute a couple hits to the Mariners’ cause tonight, with one being a triple down the right field line.

Final Score Prediction

The Los Angeles Angels are self-destructing. They are having huge problems generation offense, and have lost four of their last seven games. Conversely, Seattle has won four of their last six games, and plated 10 runs in last night’s ballgame. Felix Hernandez is fresh off one of his better outings, and hopefully he can keep riding that momentum tonight. I predict the M’s will win 6-2 on Tuesday night at Safeco Field.

Next: Mariners Weekly Rundown: Who's Hot & Who's Not

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