Cardinals at Mariners
One swing from Adam Lind ended a six-game losing streak and the Seattle
Mariners look to ride the momentum when they host the St. Louis
Cardinals in Saturday's middle contest of a three-game series. Lind
delivered a walk-off three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning
for a 4-3 win Friday as Seattle ended its season-worst skid.
The Mariners were closing in on a seventh straight loss before Lind went down and slugged a low pitch from Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal well over the fence in right field for his fourth career walk-off blast. "We kept battling and got a couple guys on and obviously a huge hit from Lind," Seattle manager Scott Servais told reporters. "A nice win. We certainly needed it to break up this losing streak and this was a good way to do it." The Cardinals had only four hits in the opener — two by Brandon Moss — to drop to 3-1 on an eight-game road trip. St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina was hitless in two at-bats and is 0-for-15 over the last four games and 2-for-22 over his last six contests.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), ROOT (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Mike Leake (5-4, 4.00 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Nathan Karns (5-2, 4.38)
Leake has won five of his past six decisions and has given up two or fewer runs in seven of his last eight turns. He hasn't walked a batter in any of his last three starts and has issued just two in 39 1/3 innings over his last six outings. Leake lost his lone career outing against Seattle when he allowed four runs and five hits in five innings July 5, 2013, as a member of the Cincinnati Reds.
Karns is winless in his last four starts and hasn't pitched longer than five innings in any of them. He has a 7.36 ERA during the stretch and has given up 21 hits and 15 walks in 18 1/3 innings. Karns, who has never previously faced the Cardinals, has served up just two homers over his last nine starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mariners 3B Kyle Seager reached base four times on two hits and two walks in the opener after being 7-for-48 over his previous 12 games.
2. St. Louis 1B Matt Adams (back) was a late scratch for the opener and his availability is uncertain for Saturday.
3. Seattle LF Seth Smith, who is 7-for-18 over his past six games, is 5-for-8 with a homer and two doubles against Leake.