The Seattle Mariners will play the third game of a four-game series on the road Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Seattle won the opening game of the series between the two American League rivals 5-4 on Thursday. Mike Leake pitched eight plus innings for the Mariners and Mitch Haniger hit a home run and knocked in three runs to help keep the Mariners atop the AL West. The win was Seattle’s sixth in its last seven games. Leake raised his record to 6-3 and left holding a 5-1 lead after giving up his eighth hit of the game to the Rays leadoff batter in the ninth. Former Tampa Bay closer Alex Colome was touched for a three-run double but then induced Daniel Robertson to hit a grounder to end the game.
Jean Segura leads the Mariners with a .341 batting average and team high 85 hits. Mitch Haniger leads the team in home runs with 13 and RBIs with 46. Seattle has a team batting average of .257 while opposing hitters are averaging .243 at the plate against Mariners pitching. On Saturday, the Mariners will send Felix Hernandez to the mound. The veteran right-hander this season is 6-4 with an ERA of 5.33, 62 Ks and 29 BBs.
Matt Duffy leads the Rays with a .311 batting average. C.J. Cron has the team lead in hits with 61, home runs with 13 and RBIs with 33. Tampa Bay has a team batting average of .256 while opposing hitters are averaging .230 at the plate against Rays pitching. On Saturday, the Rays will send Blake Snell to the mound. The southpaw this season is 7-3 with an ERA of 2.36, 88 Ks and 23 BBs.
