Mariners at Rays
The Seattle Mariners’ recent run of tight losses is decreasing the front office’s bargaining position when the trade market for relief pitching begins to heat up. The Mariners will try to avoid a three-game sweep when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays for the series finale on Thursday.
Seattle dropped its last four games by a total of five runs, including a pair of one-run losses in the first two games against the Rays. The bullpen was responsible for allowing key runs in each of those setbacks, though four relievers did combine for seven scoreless frames after Vidal Nuno allowed an inherited runner to score the tying run in the fifth inning of a game the Mariners went on to lose 3-2 in 13 innings on Wednesday. The tight win, which came when Seattle left-hander Mike Montgomery walked Logan Morrison with the bases loaded in the 13th, brought Tampa Bay within one win of a .500 record. The Rays are winners of nine of their last 11 and have jumped over the New York Yankees and out of the basement in the American League East.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ROOT (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH James Paxton (0-2, 2.25 ERA) vs. Rays LH Blake Snell (0-0, 1.80)
Paxton was blasted in his first start after being recalled on June 1, but settled down nicely over his next two turns. The 27-year-old struck out 17 over 12 1/3 total innings in those two starts and scattered six hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings before the suspect bullpen left him without a decision against Texas on Saturday. Paxton’s only previous start against the Rays came in his major-league debut on Sep. 7, 2013, when he allowed one earned run in six innings to pick up a win.
Snell will be recalled to make his second career start and could secure a spot in the rotation with another strong outing. The 23-year-old Seattle native yielded just one run and two hits in five innings while striking out six in his debut at the New York Yankees on April 23. Snell struck out 13 over 5 2/3 innings in his last minor-league start on Friday and notched 90 k’s in 63 total innings at Triple-A this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rays 3B Evan Longoria, who belted seven home runs in his last 11 games, was lifted for a pinch hitter late on Wednesday due to a tight left forearm and is day-to-day.
2. Seattle 1B Dae-Ho Lee struck out six times in his last seven at-bats.
3. Tampa Bay 2B Logan Forsythe is 5-for-11 in the series with a double and a triple.