Mariners at Rays
The Seattle Mariners look to defeat Tampa Bay for the fifth consecutive time this season when they visit the Rays on Friday for the second contest of their four-game set. Seattle has won 10 of its last 11 meetings with the Rays after recording a 5-4 victory in the series opener.
Mitch Haniger went 2-for-3 with a homer and Jean Segura recorded two hits to extend his major league-leading multi-hit performance count to 28 as the Mariners won for the sixth time in seven games. Segura ranks second in the American League with a .341 average and has helped Seattle win 15 of 19 to hold a one-game lead over Houston in the AL West. Tampa Bay has scored 16 runs during its seven-game losing streak, with three coming in the bottom of the ninth inning of Thursday's contest. Johnny Field delivered a bases-clearing double with two outs in the ninth for the Rays to match his season best of three RBIs.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Marco Gonzales (6-3, 3.38 ERA) vs. Rays RH Wilmer Font (0-2, 9.78)
Gonzales has won three consecutive starts and has allowed just one earned run in 26 innings over his last four turns. One of the wins came against the Rays in his last outing, when he allowed one run and five hits over 6 2/3 frames. The 26-year-old Gonzales has given up 16 hits during the four-start stretch in which he has lowered his ERA from 5.31 to 3.38.
Font will make his first major-league start as Tampa Bay continues its recent trend of opening the game with a reliever. The 28-year-old has posted a 1.50 ERA in four games since joining the Rays after being pounded for 24 runs over 17 innings in stints with Oakland and the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this season. Font has served up 11 homers - including one to Seattle's Ryon Healy on Saturday - in 30 frames this year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mariners DH Nelson Cruz was hitless in three at-bats after producing multi-hit efforts in six of his previous eight contests.
2. Tampa Bay recalled 1B Jake Bowers from Triple-A Durham - he went hitless in four at-bats during his major-league debut on Thursday - and designated INF Brad Miller for assignment.
3. Seattle LF Denard Span has homered in back-to-back games, the latest blast coming Thursday against the team from which he was acquired.