Mariners Game Preview: Kuma Looks to Clinch 7th Consecutive Series

The Mariners have a chance to secure their 7th consecutive series win this afternoon against the Astros.

The Seattle Mariners (18-12) will play the final game of a 4-game series against the Houston Astros (11-20) on Sunday afternoon. The Mariners have won two out of the three games played thus far, and with a win today they would clinch the series. First pitch is scheduled for 11:10 AM PT at Minute Maid Park. It will be a pitching rematch for Iwakuma and McHugh, as the two pitched against each other on April 27th in Seattle.

Hisashi Iwakuma (1-3, 4.03 ERA) will be on the mound for the Mariners today. In his last start against the Astros, Kuma gave up five runs in five innings, including two walks and a home run. Iwakuma has had an inconsistent start to the season, and only earned his first win in his last start against Oakland. He is 4-5 lifetime against Houston, so hopefully he can even up that record today.

Opposite Kuma will be Collin McHugh (3-3, 6.59 ERA). McHugh has won his last two starts, including a win against the Mariners and Kuma in Seattle. McHugh has given up 20 earned runs in six starts this season. McHugh is yielding 2.3 walks per nine innings pitched. He has given up three home runs in his last two starts, so both of these numbers should work in favor of the run happy Mariners.

Here are the lineups for today’s game, as announced by Mariners manager Scott Servais and Astros manager A.J. Hinch:

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Coming into this game, the Mariners are in first place with a game and a half lead on the Texas Rangers. They currently are averaging 4.47 runs per game, second in the AL. Red hot second baseman Robinson Cano has a career .320 batting average, with one home run and six RBI against McHugh. He is looking to build on his stellar numbers against Houston this season, and to continue his 12-game winning streak. Another Mariners player to watch out for in today’s game is third baseman Kyle Seager. Over the last eight games, Kyle is 15-for-33 and has raised his batting average from an un-Seager like .139 to a more respectable .232. Nelson Cruz was given the day off with a bruised forearm.

Next: Robinson Cano Powers Mariners to Extra Innings win

This afternoon’s game will be televised locally on Root Sports Northwest, and 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.