Mariners at Indians
The Seattle Mariners have been a better team on the road this season with four wins in six games and hope to build off that with the next six contests away from home. Sluggers Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz look to continue warming up when their Mariners visit the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday to open a three-game series.
Cano, whose next appearance will be the 1,700th of his career, is 5-for-16 with a homer and three RBIs during a four-game hitting streak while Cruz went 5-for-12 with three doubles as Seattle won two of three over the weekend at the New York Yankees. Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco will attempt to cool off Cano and Cruz after the Indians suffered through a rough series on the mound against the visiting New York Mets, allowing 17 runs in losing two of three. All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis leads the Cleveland offense with four multihit games in his last seven outings. The Indians could also add outfielders Lonnie Chisenhall (wrist) and Michael Brantley (shoulder) to the roster at some point in the series.
TV: 6:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Wade Miley (0-1, 8.25 ERA) vs. Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (1-0, 3.46)
Miley has struggled in his first two starts with the Mariners, allowing 11 runs on 17 hits in 12 innings, but has struck out 14 with no walks. The 29-year-old from Louisiana has especially had trouble against right-handed batters, who are hitting .364 against him. Rajai Davis is 2-for-5 with two homers and Juan Uribe is 7-for-25 with five RBIs versus Miley, who has given up four earned runs in four career innings against the Indians.
Carrasco was dominant last time out at Tampa Bay, permitting one run on four hits with eight strikeouts and one walk over eight innings. The 29-year-old Venezuela native would like to turn things around at home where he was 5-8 with a 5.03 ERA in 2015, despite a breakout season (14 wins overall). Cano is 5-for-9 with a homer and two doubles against Carrasco, who surrendered one run in 6 1/3 career innings versus Seattle.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland 1B-DH Carlos Santana leads the team with eight RBIs, but is 2-for-25 with six strikeouts in the last seven games.
2. Seattle 3B Kyle Seager is 0-for-17 over the last four contests to drop his average to .119.
3. The Indians won four of seven in the season series in 2015, but dropped two of three at home.