Mariners Game Notes: Vidal Nuno Toes Rubber for M’s in Opener

brianhelberg
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The Seattle Mariners (61-70) are in Houston tonight to battle the Astros (72-59) in the opener of a 3-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 pm PT from Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX. Vidal Nuno (0-1, 3.21 ERA) will get the ball for the Mariners this evening, and Dallas Keuchel (15-6, 2.28 ERA) will be on the bump for Houston. Root Sports Northwest will carry the game live locally, and MLB.tv subscribers can watch worldwide on connected devices.

Seattle lost yet another heartbreaker yesterday afternoon against the Chicago White Sox. Sunday’s loss was painful, but any hopes of making the postseason died long ago. The Mariners currently sit 11 games back of the Astros, and 8 games out in the wildcard race.

The Mariners lost another productive player today when Austin Jackson was shipped to Chicago. However, the next man up mentality kicks in, and Brad Miller will get the start in center field tonight.

Pick to Click

Franklin Gutierrez has been vital to Seattle ever since being recalled in late June. Guti is hitting .305 with 9 doubles, 10 home runs and 28 RBI in 118 at bats this season. Injuries derailed Franklin’s career in recent seasons, but it is nice to see him finally back on the field and healthy again. Tonight’s game will be Gutierrez’s 42nd of the season, which marks his highest single season tally since 2011. In a season filled with negative storylines, Gutierrez’s resurrection is one of the few bright spots. The 32-year-old left fielder is 0 for 3 lifetime versus Dallas Keuchel, but I expect Guti to go yard tonight in the series opener.

Final Score Prediction

Whether the Mariners win or lose is essentially meaningless at this point. However, I believe it is always better to win. Seattle has been awful against the Astros all season, and unfortunately that trend is likely to continue this week. Pitching has been an issue for Seattle in 2015, but Nuno pitched very well for the Mariners his last time out. Keuchel is always tough on M’s hitters, but hopefully they can push across a few runs tonight. I predict the Mariners will win 4-3 on Monday night in Houston.

Next: Austin Jackson Traded to the Chicago Cubs

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