Atlanta Braves at Seattle Mariners 9/9/22 - MLB Picks & Predictions

The Seattle Mariners (77-60) host the Atlanta Braves (86-51) on Sept. 9 for the first game of a three-game interleague series at T-Mobile Park. These teams last faced each other in the 2017 season at Atlanta and have not played in Seattle since 2014.

Both teams have been on a roll. Atlanta has pulled to within a half game of the National League East leading New York Mets after winning seven games in a row. Seattle is in the second Wild Card position, a game behind Tampa and a game ahead of Toronto. Baltimore is on the outside looking in, 4.5 games out of the Blue Jays.

Robbie Ray gets the start for Seattle, while the Braves counter with Charlie Morton on the mound. Ray is 12-8 with a 3.45 ERA over 161.2 innings and has surrendered 130 hits, 53 walks and 24 home runs. Morton is 7-5 with a 4.01 ERA over 146 innings and has allowed 121 hits, 52 walks and 21 longballs.

The home-plate umpire’s right arm could be in for quite a workout in this one as Ray ranks sixth in the league with 183 strikeouts and Morton is 10th with 175.  

Austin Riley leads the Atlanta offense with a .285 batting average and 35 homeruns. Riley has scored 80 runs, driven in 89 and has an OPS of .917. Eugenio Suarez leads Seattle with 27 homers, while Ty France’s .278 average is the team’s best. Suarez also leads the Mariners with 79 RBI.