Mariners at Twins
The Seattle Mariners hope to follow up their best offensive output of the season with another big effort when they visit the Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon for the rubber match a three-game set. The Mariners, who were held to a total of three runs in their previous two contests, recorded five extra-base hits among their 12 overall in an 11-4 victory over the Twins Saturday in frigid conditions.
Kyle Seager belted his first homer of the season and added a single for his 1,000th hit later in the game to break out of a 3-for-21 slump for Seattle and teammate Ryon Healy, who came in 1-for-18, doubled home three runs Saturday. Lance Lynn will try to cool off the Mariners’ bats and rebound from a poor debut for the Twins when he takes the ball Sunday against Seattle’s Marco Gonzales, who won his first start earlier in the week. Minnesota lost for the second time in six games Saturday as the bullpen gave up five runs in the eighth, allowing the Mariners to turn a close contest into a rout. Twins infielder Eduardo Escobar (8-for-20, four doubles, one homer) has hit safely in all five contests he has played, while slugger Miguel Sano owns a six-game hit streak while leading the club with eight RBIs.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports Northwest (Seattle), FS North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Marco Gonzales (1-0, 4.26 ERA) vs. Twins RH Lance Lynn (0-1, 11.25)
Gonzales gave up three runs on six hits (two homers) and did not walk a batter over 6 1/3 innings - a career high - in his season debut to defeat San Francisco on Tuesday. The 26-year-old Gonzaga product went 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA and a .343 batting average against in 10 appearances (seven starts) with Seattle after coming over from St. Louis in a trade July 21. Gonzales faces Minnesota for the first time and is 4-2 with a 6.20 ERA on the road in his career as opposed to 2-1 and 4.42 at home.
Lynn struggled with control in his first start with the Twins on Monday against Pittsburgh, allowing five runs on three hits and six walks with three strikeouts over four innings. The 30-year-old Ole Miss product walked a career-high 78 in 186 1/3 innings with St. Louis last year when he went 11-8, including just one victory in his last 10 appearances despite five quality starts in that span. Jean Segura is 10-for-29 with a double, a triple and two RBIs versus Lynn, who faces Seattle for the first time in his career.
WALK-OFFS
1. Minnesota 1B Joe Mauer had a double and a single Saturday to extend his hitting streak against the Mariners to 18 games.
2. Seattle 2B Robinson Cano is 11-for-25 to start the season but has yet to register a home run.
3. Twins 2B Brian Dozier has hit safely in all seven games this season, including four solo homers.