The Seattle Mariners will try to end their five-game skid when they face the Boston Red Sox Saturday night at Fenway Park. The two teams split a four-game series last weekend and Boston won a 14-10 slugfest Friday night to begin this weekend’s three-game set. The Boston Red Sox are -168 over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.
The Mariners have been sensational for much of the past month, but they are currently suffering through a five-game losing streak that started last week against the Red Sox. Since then, Seattle was also swept by the Yankees in a three-game series, so they’ll look to avoid that same fate in Boston. The Mariners maintain a comfortable lead in the wild-card race, but they’ve fallen 3.5 games back of the Astros atop the AL West.
Boston, meanwhile, remains a game back of the Yankees in the AL East, although they are still three games behind in the loss column. Even with last night’s win, the Red Sox have won just three of their last seven games, as their offense has been hit or miss during the past week.
Going for Double Digits
In just his 15th start of the season Saturday night, Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez will be aiming for his 10th win of the season. The young lefty has been remarkable this year, shaking off an uneven April and finding his groove. Rodriguez has won his last six starts, giving him a 9-1 record and a 3.59 ERA. Last weekend against the Mariners, he let up two runs over six innings while striking out nine to get the win.
Despite that nice outing against the Mariners, a few of Seattle’s hitters have good career numbers against Rodriguez. Surprisingly, Ben Gamel is 3 for 7 with two extra-base hits against Rodriguez. Dee Gordon is a player to watch as well, as he’s 4 for 5 in his career against Rodriguez. Jean Segura is also expected to return on Saturday after missing a few days with an infection. His return comes not a moment too soon, as he’s 3 for 6 with two doubles against Boston’s starter. Nelson Cruz also has four home runs in his last 23 at-bats, so he’s someone to watch closely.
Preventing Another Leak
Mike Leake will get the start for the Mariners on Saturday. Last weekend against the Red Sox, he allowed five runs on eight hits over six innings, taking the loss. On the season, Leake is 7-4 with a 4.47 ERA, so he’s been steady if unspectacular. However, he’s not exactly well suited to face one of the more potent lineups in baseball.
After last week’s game, the hitters on Boston’s roster have combined to hit .321 against Leake. Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez have done the most damage, going a combined 9 for 23 against Leake. Rafael Devers is also 3 for 5 against Leake, including the home run he hit against him last week.
Deja Vu So Soon
Rodriguez and Leake faced one another last Sunday, with the Red Sox winning that game 9-3. It seems like the Mariners would be due for a win to snap their skid at some point, but the numbers in this matchup just aren’t in their favor. Take the Boston Red Sox -168 over Seattle on Saturday.
