Felix Hernandez (8-2, 2.63 ERA) takes the mound for the Seattle Mariners (24-31) as they meet Alex Colome (3-2, 5.05 ERA) and the Tampa Bay Rays (30-26) in the third of a four-game series at Safeco Field. The Mariners lost the last game 1-0, extending a seven-game losing streak. The game starts at 10:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jun. 6 and will air on SunSports and ROOT-NW.
Hernandez is 6-2 with a 1.94 ERA and 0.93 WHIP against the Rays in his career. Nelson Cruz (.322, 32 Rs, 18 HRs, 39 RBIs, 1 SB) played well again yesterday, going 2 for 4. In his career against the Mariners, Colome is 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and three strikeouts. Logan Forsythe (.282, 25 Rs, 7 HRs, 25 RBIs, 4 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI.
Seattle, a -173 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Tampa Bay. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at six runs. The Mariners are 17-19 as the favorite and have an overall money line of -1,094. They are 2-5 as the favorite over their last 10 games. Seattle’s pitching staff performs very well on its own field, with an AL-best 2.97 team ERA at home.
On the other side, the Rays have a record of 16-14 when they are the underdog and are +189 overall with the money line. They have the lowest ERA in the AL at 3.35. They have a WHIP of 1.17 on the year, good for third in the league. They also have some of the most overpowering arms in the AL with an average of 8.6 strikeouts per game.
In their previous five games this season, the Mariners have a 3-2 record. The Mariners will take on a right-hander (Colome) in this game and have a 19-24 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Rays will be the right-hander Hernandez. They sport a 20-18 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – TB, O/U – Under
Notes
Tampa Bay won its last game in a shutout, its sixth of the season. Seattle has been shut out three times this season.
When the Rays play into extra innings, they have a 2-2 record. The Mariners are 4-5 when their games exceed nine innings.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Rays are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Mariners have a 10-1 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Rays are 5-17. The Mariners have a 9-16 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 13th in home runs, Tampa Bay has hit 53 this season. Seattle ranks fifth with 62 home runs.
Seattle and Tampa Bay both rank in the top half of the league in hits. Seattle sits at 13th with 8.04 hits per game and Tampa Bay ranks 12th with 8.11.
Ranking 21st, Seattle is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.687). Tampa Bay ranks in the bottom half at 19th with an OPS of .695.
The Rays are 13-18 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Mariners are 10-26 when they allow at least one homer.
