Twins at Mariners
After a minor bump in the road, the Seattle Mariners got back on the right track in the series opener and attempt to continue their winning ways when they host the Minnesota Twins on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game set. Seattle had its five-game winning streak snapped in Oakland on Thursday but bounced back by edging Minnesota 2-1 on Friday.
Nelson Cruz delivered an RBI single in the first inning and Mitch Haniger snapped a 1-1 tie with a run-scoring base hit in the sixth as the Mariners won for the eighth time in 11 contests to improve to 30-20 - their best 50-game start since beginning 2003 with a 32-18 record. Seattle has played five consecutive one-run games, going 4-1 while scoring a total of only 12 runs, and have recorded a major league-high 14 victories in such contests (14-8). The Twins have suffered back-to-back losses following a three-game winning streak, scoring just once in each setback. Max Kepler recorded half of Minnesota's four hits on Friday, including a solo homer in the fifth inning, and was the only player in the team's lineup that was not a strikeout victim.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS North (Minnesota), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Jake Odorizzi (3-2, 3.17 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Wade LeBlanc (0-0, 2.65)
Odorizzi's unbeaten streak reached five starts on Sunday as he settled for a no-decision against Milwaukee despite allowing just one run and five hits while registering a season-high 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. The 28-year-old native of Illinois has given up a total of two runs in 16 2/3 frames over his last three turns. Odorizzi is 1-3 with a 4.11 ERA in seven career starts against Seattle, including a no-decision on May 14 during which he scattered four hits over six scoreless innings.
LeBlanc seeks his first decision Saturday as he makes his fifth straight start after five appearances out of the bullpen. The 33-year-old from Louisiana has surrendered a total of three runs over 20 1/3 innings since joining the rotation, striking out 15 batters while walking only two. LeBlanc has worked 8 1/3 scoreless frames against the Twins in his career, making three relief appearances before scattering three hits over six innings in a no-decision opposite Odorizzi on May 14 in Minnesota.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Mariners acquired OF Denard Span, RHP Alex Colome and cash from Tampa Bay on Friday for RHPs Tommy Romero and Andrew Moore while transferring RHP David Phelps (elbow) from the 10-day to the 60-day disabled list.
2. Minnesota 3B Miguel Sano (hamstring) was in the lineup at first base on Friday after missing nearly four weeks and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
3. Seattle 2B Dee Gordon (toe), who is eligible to come off the 10-day DL on Thursday, fielded grounders and took part in some pregame infield work on Friday.