Mariners at Angels
After a disappointing start to the season, the Seattle Mariners look to make it two wins in a row when they visit the Los Angeles Angels on Friday for the opener of their three-game series. Seattle scored a total of four runs in losing its first three contests of 2017 before salvaging the finale of its four-game set at Houston on Thursday.
Mitch Haniger hit the team's first homer of the year and the Mariners scored once in the sixth inning and twice in the ninth after trailing by a run to post a 4-2 triumph. Los Angeles will be playing its home opener after kicking off the campaign with a four-game set in Oakland. The Angels settled for a split of that series after dropping a 5-1 decision on Thursday in which it recorded only five singles. Andrelton Simmons registered two of them and is 6-for-15 for a team-best .400 batting average.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ROOT (Seattle), FSN West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Yovani Gallardo (2016: 6-8, 5.42 ERA) vs. Angels RH Jesse Chavez (2016: 2-2, 4.43)
Gallardo will make his debut for the Mariners after making 23 starts for Baltimore last season. The 31-year-old Mexican struggled during the spring, posting a 7.47 ERA in five outings. Gallardo owns a 7.00 ERA against the Angels as he has allowed seven runs over nine innings in two career starts.
Like his counterpart, Chavez will be making his first start with a new team as he signed with the Angels in November after splitting last season between Toronto and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 33-year-old Californian worked exclusively out of the bullpen for both clubs in 2016 after making a career-high 26 starts for Oakland the previous year. Chavez has had no success against Seattle, going 0-6 with a 5.84 ERA in 17 appearances - including seven starts.
EXTRA BASES
1. Mariners SS Jean Segura has recorded two hits in three of his first four games and leads the team with a .300 average.
2. Seattle activated LHP Dillon Overton from the paternity list and optioned RHP Chase De Jong to Triple-A Tacoma.
3. Los Angeles RHP Garrett Richards, who exited his start on Wednesday with right biceps cramps, is slated to undergo an MRI on Friday.