Every game is a must-win. That basically describes the situation for the Seattle Mariners, who are just 1.5 games behind Baltimore for the final wild card spot in the American League. Only 10 games remain in the Mariners’ schedule, with tonight’s opener with Minnesota being their third-to-the-last regular-season series.
Speaking of which, Seattle is giving the nod to James Paxton (4-7, 3.88 ERA) here. He clearly hasn’t been the same since coming off the disabled list last month, going 0-2 with a 4.94 ERA in his previous five starts. The Mariners went 1-4 SU during that stretch.
But good things can be expected from Paxton later, especially since he’ll be pitching in front of a home crowd. The lefty carries a respectable 3.56 ERA through nine starts at Target Field this season. Paxton also vaunts a 100:23 K:BB ratio in over 109 innings, a convincing proof that he’s indeed one of the hardest throwers in baseball today.
Seattle’s offense, however, has lost its mettle lately, racking up just a total of five runs scored in the last three outings. Obviously, those numbers need to improve, or else a loss would almost be inevitable. Seven-time All-Star Robinson Cano can certainly smash in some big runs at the plate, as he holds a career triple-slash line of .333/.385/.750 against Minnesota.
The Mariners are 6-4 SU in their past 10 road games.
It’s a completely different story for the Minnesota Twins—the MLB’s worst club as of this moment. Adding another loss to a disastrous season wouldn’t make much of a difference, but still, a win would be most-welcomed and greatly appreciated by their fan base.
Taking the mound in this evening’s opener against the visiting Mariners is Kyle Gibson (6-10, 5.10 ERA). He surrendered three runs on seven hits, and was limit to five innings during Sunday’s contest with the Mets. Before that start though, the 28-year-old threw for eight innings of one-run ball to lead the Twins past Detroit, 8-1. Following that pattern, Gibson should be in line for a good outing later.
On offense, things continue to look bleak. Minnesota’s put in no more than two runs scored in each of its last six games. Second baseman Brian Dozier, who is batting .417 this month and currently boasts a 25-game hitting streak, has been finding huge success at the plate lately, but his efforts alone haven’t led to wins. The Twins need more production from the others.
