Mariners at Indians
The Seattle Mariners are starting to turn around a disastrous stretch on the road while the Cleveland Indians are beginning to piece it together at home. The Mariners vie for their third straight win away from the Pacific Northwest on Friday when they open a three-game series against the Indians at Progressive Field.
Seattle improved to 4-10 on the road after recording back-to-back wins over Detroit to claim a series victory, with Kyle Seager returning from a sore hip to collect an RBI single before scoring the go-ahead run in Thursday's 2-1 triumph. The 29-year-old looks to extend his hitting streak to four games when he faces right-hander Carlos Carrasco, against whom he has belted a solo homer among his two hits in six career at-bats. While the Mariners have won three of their last four on a 10-game road trip, Cleveland won its second straight versus visiting Houston on Thursday to improve to 7-2 in its last nine overall and 4-5 at home this season. Jose Ramirez recorded three singles in Thursday's 4-3 victory to improve to 8-for-20 during his five-game hitting streak, although the 24-year-old Dominican is batting just .190 against Seattle in his career.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Ariel Miranda (1-2, 4.35 ERA) vs. Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (2-1, 1.65)
Miranda answered a brilliant outing with a difficult one, as the Cuban permitted four runs on seven hits for the second time in three outings in Saturday's 4-3 setback at Oakland. The 28-year-old surrendered two homers in just three innings against the Athletics and has been taken deep five times already in just 20 2/3 frames. Miranda, who has yet to face the Indians in his career, sports just a 1-3 mark with a 5.59 ERA in seven road contests.
Carrasco has pitched into the sixth inning and allowed two or fewer runs in each of his first four starts this season. The 30-year-old Venezuelan scattered three hits over eight frames in Saturday's 7-0 rout of the Chicago White Sox, fanning eight to increase his strikeout total to 27 in 27 1/3 innings this season. Robinson Cano has gotten the better of Carrasco in his career by going 6-for-14 with a homer, however Nelson Cruz (.214) and Jarrod Dyson (.188) have struggled mightily in 14 and 16 at-bats respectively.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cruz is 13-for-27 with three homers, 11 RBIs and eight runs scored during his eight-game hitting streak.
2. Cleveland SS Francisco Lindor, who belted a go-ahead homer on Thursday, has gone deep twice and scored four runs in his last four contests.
3. Struggling Seattle CF Leonys Martin was outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday after batting just .111 in his first 58 plate appearances, one season removed from recording career highs in homers (15) and runs scored (72).