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Seattle Mariners

Mariners Pregame: Nelson Cruz snaps drought, lineups and starters

Seattle Mariners’ Nelson Cruz hits a two-RBI single against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning on July 4, 2017, in Seattle. (John Froschauer / Associated Press)
By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

Game 87: Seattle Mariners (41-45) host Oakland Athletics (37-48) at 7:10 p.m. at Safeco Field.

The Mariners erased an early deficit against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday before losing 8-6 in 10 innings.

The good news was Nelson Cruz finally hit a few balls hard, including snapping a 24-game homerless streak and banging another one off the wall that, if he were healthy, would have been a double. Instead, he was thrown out by an eyelash and admitted as much after the game.

In related news, the Mariners are statistically one of the worst baserunning teams in the American League, despite Jarrod Dyson’s proficiency.

The Mariners enter play 17.5 games back in the division and four games behind in thw wildcard chase. They are 2-8 in their last 10 games and are down to 25-20 at home.

The Athletics are 21 games back in the A.L. West, 4-6 in their last 10 games and 13-27 on the road.

The A’s activated Marcus Semien from the disabled list on Thursday. The shortstop has missed almost three months with a broken wrist.

A’s starter Paul Blackburn, 23, makes his second MLB start. Against Atlanta on July 1, the 6-foot-1 righty went six innings and allowed one unearned run on three hits and a walk with four strikeouts over six innings in a no-decision.

The Mariners acquired Blackburn in the Dan Vogelbach deal, then shipped him to the A’s in exchange for Danny Valencia over the winter.

Lineups and starters

Courtesy @MarinersPR
Courtesy @MarinersPR

Starters: RHP Sam Gaviglio (3-3, 3.48) vs. RHP Paul Blackburn (0-0, 0.00)

Mariners Notes

  • Since moving into the starting rotation on May 18, Sam Gaviglio is 3-3 with a 3.44 ERA (19 ER, 49.2 IP) with 27 strikeouts in nine starts. In that span, his 3.44 ERA is ninth-best in the American League. Among rookies, his overall 3.48 ERA (20 ER, 51.2 IP) is the best in the Majors (min. 50 IP) ahead of the Yankees’ Jordan Montgomery (3.62; 35 ER, 87.0 IP).
  • OF Ben Gamel is leading the American League in batting average with a .335 (80 for 239) mark. The last time a Mariner led the A.L. in batting at the All-Star Break was Ichiro Suzuki (.352) in 2003. The last rookie to lead the A.L. in batting at the All-Star Break was the Angels Mike Trout (.341) in 2012.
  • OF Jarrod Dyson stole his 20th base of the season last night. He now has six straight seasons with 20-plus steals. Since 2012, Dyson is joined only by Texas’ Elvis Andrus as players who have stolen 20-plus bases in each of those seasons. Houston’s Jose Altuve (16 this season) has a chance to join them.
  • Seattle is 38-14 when scoring four runs or more, but just 3-31 when scoring three or fewer runs.

This Day in Mariners History

In 1998, Ken Griffey Jr. won the home run hitting derby in Denver.

In 2009, Jarrod Washburn threw the 10th complete-game one-hitter in Mariner history, marking only the fifth time in club history that a Mariners pitcher has faced 28 or fewer batters in a nine inning complete game.