Mariners Game Notes: M’s Hope to Impress on FOX

The Seattle Mariners (34-40) will take on the Los Angeles Angels (37-37) on Saturday afternoon in Anaheim. First pitch is scheduled for 4:15 pm from Angel Stadium. J.A. Happ (3-4, 3.78 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Mariners, and Garrett Richards (7-5, 3.66 ERA) will get the ball for the Halos. FOX will beam the game nationwide, and MLB.tv subscribers can watch on connected devices.

Seattle now has sole possession of 4th place in the American League West. The Mariners gained a game on the division leading Houston Astros with their win last night, as Seattle now trails by just 8 games.

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

Dustin Ackley Get’s Start in CF

The Ack-Attack will make just his second start since June 19th this afternoon in Anaheim. Ackley will play center field and hit 8th for Seattle. He was a key contributor to the M’s offense in his last start, as he went 3 for 4 with a double, home run, 2 RBI’s and 2 runs scored against the Royals. The 27-year-old has done a nice job in center this season, and he has tallied 4 hits off Garrett Richards during his career.

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Pick to Click

The Mariners pushed 3 runs across last night, and Robinson Cano was a big part of that. Cano has had a miserable first half, but he is showing signs of life at the plate this week. Robby is hitting .294 with a double, 2 home runs and 2 RBI’s during his current 4-game hitting streak. I am going to go with the superstar second baseman as my pick to click this afternoon. Cano leads the M’s with a .357 career average against Richards across 14 career at bats. I predict Cano will extend his hitting streak to 5 games with his first home run off the Angels’ right-hander.

Final Score Prediction

The M’s game is going to be featured as one of FOX’s Games of the Week, and will be seen by baseball fans up and down the west coast. The Mariners have been a huge disappointment thus far, but they have a chance to impress a big audience this afternoon. Happ has been a pleasant surprise for much of the season, but he sports an 0-3 record with a 6.08 ERA over his last 3 outings. Hopefully, that all changes today. I predict the M’s will win by a final score of 4-2 on Saturday afternoon. With Felix Hernandez going tomorrow, a win today could set Seattle up wonderfully for a key sweep of the Halos.

Next: Mariners Take Opener 3-1 in Anaheim

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