Mariners Game Preview: M’s Hope to Stay Hot with King Felix on the Mound

The Seattle Mariners have won two games in a  row, and the Yankees enter Saturday losers of their last three.

The Seattle Mariners (4-6) will hope to keep it rolling against the New York Yankees (4-5) on Saturday afternoon, as the M’s enter play having won their previous two games. First pitch is scheduled 10:05 am PT from Yankee Stadium in New York. Felix Hernandez (0-1, 0.69 ERA) will be on the bump for the Mariners, and the Yanks will turn to CC Sabathia (1-0, 4.50 ERA).

This afternoon’s outing will be King Felix’s third of the season, and the M’s ace is hoping to notch his first victory of the season. Hernandez has been filthy so far in 2016, and he is fresh off a dominant start against the Oakland Athletics last weekend at Safeco Field. The 30-year-old right-hander held the A’s off the scoreboard through 7 innings on Sunday while allowing 3 hits, striking out 10 and walking 2. Felix has been reasonably productive against the Yankees during his career, going 9-6 with a 3.18 ERA across 19 career starts.

At 35 years old, CC Sabathia no longer has the arm talent he once had, but he is one of the savvier pitchers in the game. The veteran southpaw allowed 3 runs on 4 hits across 6 innings en route to picking up a win against the Detroit Tigers in his lone start this season. CC has had great success against the M’s throughout his career, going 12-5 with a 2.61 ERA through 24 starts. Hopefully, he will have trouble this afternoon against the suddenly potent Mariners lineup.

Mariners skipper Scott Servais and Yankees boss Joe Girardi have released the following lineups for this afternoon’s affair:

Pick to Click

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The Yankee fans let it be known last night that they still have not forgiven Robinson Cano for ditching the Bronx Bombers in 2013 for greener pastures in the Emerald City. However, Cano had the last laugh in the series opener. The 33-year-old went 2 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI in the M’s 7-1 victory a night ago. Robbie is now hitting .214 on the season, and he leads the club with 5 homers. I expect Cano to have another strong game against his former organization today. Look for him to tally at least 2 hits and drive in a pair of runs.

Final Score Prediction

On paper, the Mariners have a significant edge in the today’s starting pitching matchup. King Felix is arguably the top right-handed pitcher in the American League, and CC Sabathia is no longer a top-tier hurler. However, the M’s have had plenty of trouble against lefties this season, and Sabathia will likely fare better than one would think this afternoon. Regardless, I still expect Seattle to come out on top. Look for Hernandez to baffle the Yanks as the Mariners win 5-2 and take a commanding 2-0 series lead in the Bronx.

Next: Mike Zunino Playing Well in Tacoma

Today’s game will be broadcast live on Root Sports Northwest and MLB Network. As always, MLB.tv subscribers can watch worldwide on connected devices. Make sure you follow SoDo Mojo on twitter for live updates throughout the game, and check back after the final out has been recorded for a full recap. Go Mariners!