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Seattle Mariners

Mariners Pregame: Roster shakeups, lineups and starters

Seattle Mariners fans cheer a strikeout by Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez by waving "K" cards in the third inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Sunday, July 9, 2017, in Seattle. (Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)
By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

Game 97: The Seattle Mariners (48-48) host the New York Yankees (48-45) at 7:10 p.m. in the first of a four-game series at Safeco Field.

The Mariners completed a six-game road trip with a 5-1 record after beating A.L. West-leading Houston Astros 4-1 on Wednesday as James Paxton delivered another gem.

The M’s begin play on Thursday just 1 1/2 games behind the Yankees for the second wildcard spot in the American League. The Mariners are 7-3 in their last 10 games and 27-22 at Safeco Field.

The Yankees are four games behind Boston in the A.L. East. New York is 4-6 in their last 10 games and 22-28 on the road.

Transactions: The Mariners acquired veteran RHP David Phelps from the Miami Marlins to bolster the bullpen. The M’s gave up the organization’s No. 6-rated prospect, OF Brayan Hernandez, along with right-handed pitching prospects Pablo Lopez, Brandon Miller and Lukas Schiraldi.

The M’s also optioned starter Sam Gaviglio to AAA Tacoma and recalled RHP Max Povse from the Rainiers. Gaviglio was roughed up by the Astros on Tuesday, the only loss on the recently competed road trip.

The M’s are in need of a fifth starter on Sunday, though, and that spot will be filled by Yovani Gallardo – who’s been pitching well out of the pen.

Lineups and starters

Courtesy @MarinersPR
Courtesy @MarinersPR

Starters: RHP Felix Hernandez (5-3, 4.20) vs. RHP Luis Severino (5-4, 3.40)

Mariners Notes

  • Over the last 46 games, Seattle has averaged 5.41 runs per game, which ranks fourth in Majors since May 28 behind Houston (6.98), Colorado (5.57) and Washington (5.52).
  • Seattle went 5-1 on the recently completed trip, just the sixth road trip since 2008 with an .833-or-better winning percentage (min. six games). The Mariners had two such trips in 2016
  • Since going homerless in 24 consecutive games (June 6-July 4) Nelson Cruz has six home runs in his last 11 games and six of his last 10 hits have been homers. In July, Cruz is hitting .283 (13 for 46) with six runs, six home runs, 15 RBI and 1.039 OPS.
  • Cruz has 20 home runs this season, his ninth consecutive season with 20-plus. He’s the only player with 20-plus home runs in every season since 2009.
  • OF Ben Gamel is hitting .440 (59 for 134) against fastballs this season. His .440 average on fastballs is the best in MLB ahead of Baltimore’s Trey Mancini (.409), the Dodgers’ Justin Turner (.402), Houston’s Jose Altuve (.388) and Atlanta’s Matt Kemp (.382).

This Day in Mariners History

In 1984, In one of the wildest finishes in baseball history, the visiting Toronto Blue Jays scored 11 runs in the top of the ninth inning, overcoming a 3-1 Mariners lead. Alvin Davis recorded his second career grand slam in the bottom of the ninth, but the Jays won 12-7.