Mariners Game Preview: King Felix looks to Reign in Cincy

King Felix will get the ball as the Mariners look to win their 7th road series of the year this afternoon.

The Seattle Mariners (24-17) are taking on the Cincinnati Reds (15-27) today at 1:10 pm PT. Felix Hernandez (3-3, 2.47) will take the mound for the M’s and go up against Reds Starter John Lamb (0-1, 5.79).

Felix has ben having a “down” year according to several folks, despite having an ERA of just 2.47. Albeit he hasn’t been the absolutely dominant Felix we all know and love, walking 22 batters over 51 innings this year, he has only allowed 14 runs while striking out 42. In his last start against the Angels, he went 7.1 innings, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits while walking 2 and striking out 9. Felix will be fine guys, and I expect him to look as close to his dominant self today against the Reds lineup.

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I’ll be honest, I didn’t know a thing about Lamb until I looked up his stats for this article. With all of the Reds other starters on the DL, they don’t have a lot of depth and have had to turn to secondary starters. Lamb has made 3 starts this year and has gone 14 total innings, having allowed 9 runs on 18 hits while walking 6 and striking out 8. Batters are hitting .316 against him this season and righties are hitting .357. I can’t help but think the Mariners hot bats on the road will take advantage of his struggles.

Here are your lineups as announced by managers Scott Servais and Bryan Price:

Pick to Click

King Felix is going to be my pick to click, and I predict him to go 8 strong innings while only allowing 1 run. He will look just like his old, nearly perfect, self. I think he will have a lot of confidence throwing his fastball for strikes which will allow for him to execute his off speed pitches. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this wonderful Felix Day.

Final Score Prediction

I think Felix will dominate the struggling Reds lineup as the M’s lineup takes advantage of John Lamb. Although anything can happen in the game of baseball, I can’t help but feel this game will be a little one-sided as the M’s take down the Reds 6-1.

Next: Mariners Storm Back to Beat Reds in Cincy

You can watch tonight’s game locally on Root Sports Northwest, and MLB.tv subscribers can watch worldwide on connected devices. Fans can also listen to the game live on 710 ESPN. And be sure to 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!