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Seattle Mariners

Mariners Pregame: Top spots getting it done, lineups and starters

Seattle Mariners’ Ben Gamel slides safely into third base as he advances from first on a hit by Mitch Haniger in the fourth inning of the M’s 12-3 win over the Minnesota Twins on June 12, 2017, in Minneapolis. (Jim Mone / Associated Press)
By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

Game 66: The Seattle Mariners (32-33) face the Minnesota Twins (32-28) in the second of a four-game series at Target Field in Minneapolis.

The top two spots in the Mariners lineup in Monday night’s 14-3 shelling of the Twins – Ben Gamel in leadoff and Mitch Haniger second – combined to go 6 for 10 with seven runs, two walks, a double, two RBI and a reached on error. For the season, the Mariners 1-2 spots in the order are hitting a combined .307 (second in MLB) and are tops in MLB in both on-base percentage (.375) and runs (101). Gamel is now hitting .331 on the year, while Haniger checks in at .348.

The Mariners have won 11 of their last 15, while the Twins have lost two in a row, are 5-5 in their last 10 games and 12-19 at home.

Lineups and starters

Courtesy @MarinersPR
Courtesy @MarinersPR

Starters: RHP Christian Bergman (3-3, 4.03) vs. RHP Kyle Gibson (3-4, 6.52)

Mariners Notes

  • The Mariners scored 14 runs on Monday, the ninth time this season the Mariners have posted double-digits in runs. Not surprisingly, Seattle is 9-0 in those games. The Yankees (11-0) lead MLB in 10-plus run games, while the Nationals (9-1) are second. The Mariners join Arizona (9-0) and Colorado (8-1) in third. The Mariners scored 10-plus runs 14 times last season.
  • The Mariners started a trio of rookie outfielders in the last two games: Ben Gamel in LF, Guillermo Heredia in CF & Mitch Haniger in RF. It’s the first time this season the club has started the rookie trifecta.
  • The Seattle bullpen has allowed only two runs in its last 23 2/3 innings (0.76 ERA) over its last seven games, including eight hitless innings over past two games.Beginning with eighth inning on June 2 against Tampa Bay, Seattle’s bullpen has a 0.95 ERA (three earned runs in 28 1/3 innings). Since May 21, the bullpen boasts a 1.26 ERA (10 earned runs in 71 2/3 innings) with 69 strikeouts.

This Day in Mariners History

In 1991, Alvin Davis hit career Kingdome home run No. 100, the first player to accomplish the feat. The homer completes the Mariners 6-5 win over Detroit.