Jason Bay is in the midst of a hot streak, although it’s been a different story the few times he has faced his former team the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bay looks to guide the Seattle Mariners to their seventh win in nine games Tuesday when they begin a two-game interleague set at Pittsburgh. Bay appeared in two All-Star Games as a member of the Pirates from 2004-08, but is a .143 hitter in six games against Pittsburgh. During Seattle’s recent surge, he is batting .370 with two homers and seven RBIs.
The Pirates are coming off their first back-to-back home losses after falling 6-2 Sunday against the Washington Nationals. Pittsburgh went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, although Starling Marte continued his hot hitting with his fourth homer in five games. Marte, who ranks second in the National League behind the Miami Marlins’ Juan Pierre with 10 stolen bases, is 8-for-21 with eight RBIs and has scored six runs during his five-game hitting streak.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Aaron Harang (1-3, 8.68 ERA) vs. Pirates RH James McDonald (2-2, 5.76)
Harang enjoyed his best outing in four turns with the Mariners during Wednesday’s 8-3 victory over Baltimore, holding the Orioles to two runs and four hits over six frames. It was the first time he tossed more than five innings this season. The 34-year-old right-hander was roughed up in his only road start of the season, giving up eight runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings against Texas on April 21. Harang has experienced great success in 25 all-time starts against the Pirates, going 15-6 with a 4.24 ERA.
With Francisco Liriano and Charlie Morton nearing the end of their rehab stints, McDonald will likely be pitching to keep his spot in the rotation in this contest. The right-hander set season highs by allowing seven earned runs and issuing five walks over five innings in Tuesday’s 12-8 setback at Milwaukee. McDonald, who is 1-2 with a 3.07 ERA at home this season, will make his first-ever start against Seattle. The 28-year-old tossed two scoreless innings in his only other appearance against the Mariners in 2009.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pittsburgh has won as many games in which it trailed after seven innings this year (3-12) as it did all of last year (3-69).
2. The Mariners are 5-1 against the Pirates and 3-0 in Pittsburgh, but will meet for the first time since 2007.
3. Pirates C Russell Martin, who is 6-for-13 with two RBIs in his career against Harang, is one home run shy of 100 for his career.
PREDICTION: Pirates 6, Mariners 4