Mariners Game Preview: M’s Hope to Stop Three Game Skid

The Seattle Mariners hope to break the early season three game losing streak tonight against the Texas Rangers with Hisashi Iwakuma on the hill.

The Seattle Mariners (2-4) will play host to the Texas Rangers (3-4) on Monday evening in Seattle. First pitch is set for 7:10 pm from the corner of Edgar Martinez Drive & Dave Niehaus Way. The Mariners have dropped the first three games of the homestand, and they will look to Hisashi Iwakuma (0-0, 3.60 ERA) in hopes of stopping the losing streak. Colby Lewis (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will be on the hill for the visiting Rangers.

Hisashi Iwakuma will make his second start of the young season.  His first start was against the Texas Rangers in Arlington.  Iwakuma went five innings in that contest and allowed only two runs on six hits but did not get a decision as the Mariners exploded for 10 runs late in the game and would go on to win 10-2.  The Mariners have yet to get a win for any of their starting pitchers in this season.  Iwakuma hopes to be the first starter to get a notch on the win column for the Mariners.

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Colby Lewis will make his second start for the Rangers tonight.   His first start this season was against the Mariners and he pitched six innings and allowed three runs on six hits but walked three and struck out four batters.  Two of those hits were home runs by Robinson Cano and Leonys Martin.  The Mariners would go on to win that game 9-5 and Lewis would get a no-decision.  However, the Mariners have struggled this season against right handers.  The 6-foot-4 right hander from Bakersfield, California hopes to continue that trend tonight.

Mariners skipper Scott Servais and Rangers manager Jeff Banister have released the following lineups for today’s ballgame:

Scott Servias is staying with his regular lineup for right handed pitchers.  Chris Iannetta will be behind the plate and bat seventh and Ketel Marte will be at short stop and bat eighth.  The only right hander in the lineup besides Iannetta, as usual against right handed pitching, is Nelson Cruz in the cleanup spot.  The Mariners hitters will look to solve their hitting woes against right handed pitchers tonight.

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The Mariners will look to try and get in the win column and climb back to .500.  The chatter on twitter and other social media is heavily negative due to the early season losing streak.  The worst part is that it came against an Oakland Athletics team that is predicted to finish last in the AL West.  But the season is long and the Mariners have not lost their way.  The Mariners won 2 out of 3 in Texas last week and are looking to continue that trend this series.  One thing to look for is how former Mariner, Tom Wilhelmsen will fare against the Mariners batters this series.  During the last series in Texas the Mariners destroyed Wilhelmsen with extra base hit after extra base hit.  Emotions ran high as both dugouts emptied when Wilhelmsen hit Chris Iannetta and was subsequently ejected.

A brief note to pass along.  Joaquin Benoit will be out a few days due to some back tightness as reported by Bob Dutton:

Get your lucky shirt, cap, shorts, socks, rabbit’s foot, and four leafed clovers out tonight.  Whatever it is that you do for luck, get it done.  The Mariners need to right the ship and could sure use every bit of luck on their side to turn the tide back to winning side.  Go Mariners!

Next: Mariners Roundtable: Can the M's Make the Playoffs in 2016?

Today’s game will be broadcast by Root Sports Northwest and MLB.tv subscribers can watch worldwide on connected devices. Fans from the Pacific Northwest can listen to Rick Rizzs and Aaron Goldsmith call the action on 710 ESPN Radio.