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Mariners Game Preview: Steve Baron to Make MLB Debut for M’s

By Brian Helberg

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The Seattle Mariners (66-73) are playing host to the Texas Rangers (73-64) again on Wednesday night at Safeco Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 pm from the corner of Edgar & Dave. Vidal Nuno (0-2, 3.72 ERA) will be on the bump for the Mariners, and Martin Perez (2-4, 5.07 ERA) will get the ball for Texas. Root Sports Northwest will carry tonight’s game live locally, and MLB.tv subscribers can watch worldwide on connected devices.

Seattle entered this four game set winners of five consecutive games, however the visitors have taken the first two games of the series. Thankfully, the Mariners recent skid has not hurt their standing in the American League West. The M’s remain 9 games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West, and 8 games out in the wildcard race.

Mariners’ skipper Lloyd McClendon and Rangers’ boss Jeff Banister have released following lineups for tonight’s game:

Steve Baron to Make MLB Debut

The Seattle Mariners selected Steve Baron with the 33rd overall pick in the 2009 draft. It has been a long and winding road for Baron, but he has finally arrived at Safeco Field. The 24-year-old backstop started the season in Jackson before earning a promotion to Tacoma in June. Baron hit .277 with 12 doubles, 3 home runs and 20 RBI across 53 games with the Rainiers. He is very athletic behind the plate and possesses a decent throwing arm. I am looking forward to seeing how Baron fares tonight in his big league debut.

Pitching Preview

Vidal Nuno will make his 6th start of the season tonight for Seattle, and his first since August 31. Nuno is 0-2 on the season with a 3.72 ERA across 26 appearances with the Mariners in 2015. Sadly, his numbers as a starting pitcher are much worse. Through 5 starts, the 28-year-old southpaw is 0-2 with a 5.26 ERA. Opponents are hitting .304 against Nuno as a starter, and he has served up 9 home runs in 25.2 innings pitched. Tonight’s outing will be Nuno’s first of the season against the Texas Rangers.

Martin Perez is not having an overly strong season in 2015, as he enters play with a record of 2-4 and a 5.07 ERA across 9 starts. The 24-year-old left-hander has struck out 28 and walked 15 through 49.2 innings pitched. Perez has allowed at least 3 runs in each of his last 3 outings. He did a decent job in his lone start against Seattle, allowing 2 earned runs on 7 hits over the course of 6 innings back on August 8.

Pick to Click

Jul 23, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager (15) makes a throw to first to retire Detroit Tigers catcher James McCann (not pictured) in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

This is without a doubt the least inspiring starting 9 the Mariners have had in 2015. The majority of the lineup was not even expected to play at Safeco Field in 2015. However, Kyle Seager is currently riding an 11-game hitting streak. The 27-year-old third baseman is hitting .465 with 4 doubles, 4 home runs and 11 RBI over his last 11 games. Seager’s hitting the ball better than he has all season, and his batting average has ballooned from .254 to .271 since the streak began. He is a career .412 hitter with 2 home runs and 3 RBI against Perez. I am predicting Seager will go 3 for 5 with a double, home run and 2 RBI.

Final Score Prediction

It is hard to be overly optimistic about tonight’s outcome given the lineup and starting pitcher Seattle is trotting out. However, the Rangers do not look much better. The Mariners have played well against Texas all season, and hopefully that trend continues tonight. It will likely take at least 5 runs for the M’s to win tonight, and I am hopeful they will get there. Look for Seattle to win 7-4 on Wednesday night at Safeco Field.

Next: Mariners News: Drew Jackson Named Northwest League MVP

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