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Preview: Rays (29-26) at Mariners (24-30)
Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: June 05, 2015 10:10 PM EDT
The outcomes of Jake Odorizzi's last four starts have been a bit puzzling: Consistency bred a winless streak before matching the most runs he's allowed this season ended it.
Friday night's start in Seattle presents an opportunity for Odorizzi to combine the positives from each as the Tampa Bay Rays try for another win over the slumping Mariners.
Odorizzi (4-5, 2.61 ERA) gave up four runs on three homers and seven total hits in Sunday's 9-5 win in Baltimore and earned the decision, snapping a four-start winless streak on which he'd posted a 2.45 ERA and recorded three straight losses before beating the Orioles. He'd allowed four runs once in his other 10 starts.
"It's nice to get a win again, that's for sure," the right-hander told MLB's official website. "It's odd that it's the most runs I've given up all year and get a win for it. I guess if that's what it takes to get a win then I'll be happy to do this every time out if it gives us a win each time out."
It seems unlikely he'll allow four against Seattle. Odorizzi's start prior to beating the Orioles was a 4-1 loss to Seattle on May 25, when he gave up two runs - one earned - and five hits in seven innings. The 25-year-old is 1-1 with a 0.69 ERA and .140 opponent batting average in two starts against the Mariners. Nelson Cruz is 2 for 13 against him, and Brad Miller is 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.
The Rays (29-26) opened the series with Thursday's 2-1 victory, snapping a six-game losing streak against the Mariners (24-30) and winning for the fifth time in six games.
Joey Butler stayed hot with two hits and is 12 for 24 in his last six. He's batting .361 against left-handers, which he'll see for a fourth straight game Friday.
Seattle has dropped six straight, all at home, and another would mark its longest home skid since dropping eight straight from April 30-May 8, 2010. The Mariners haven't topped three runs in 10 games and the 2-7 span that's followed includes a .222 average and 2.33 runs per game.
Cruz was 0 for 3 and is 3 for 23 on the losing streak. Logan Morrison was out of the lineup with back spasms, but Mark Trumbo made his club debut with a 2-for-4 night one day after being acquired from Arizona.
"If we can get things clicking a little bit, and I can contribute in whatever way I can, I think opposing pitchers are going to have to work," Trumbo said.
Until then, it seems J.A. Happ and the Mariners staff will be the ones loaded with pressure. Happ (3-1, 3.70) has gone eight starts without a loss, matching his longest stretch since going 15 straight from July 2008-July 2009, but it has as much to do with a 4.60 run-support average as anything else.
The left-hander is 3-0 with a 4.00 ERA during that span after surrendering two runs and eight hits in five innings of Sunday's 6-3 home loss to Cleveland.
Happ's previous start came in Tampa Bay on May 26 in a 7-6 win, also ending without a decision after allowing three runs and seven hits in six innings. He's 2-2 with a 5.35 ERA in eight appearances against the Rays.
In his first season with Seattle, he's taken quite a liking to Safeco Field with a 2-1 record and 2.30 ERA while never allowing more than two runs in five starts.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Rays at Mariners
Thu, Jun 4 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Rays at Mariners
Fri, Jun 5 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Rays at Mariners
Sat, Jun 6 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 4
Rays at Mariners
Sun, Jun 7 - 4:10PM EDT
Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: June 05, 2015 10:10 PM EDT
The outcomes of Jake Odorizzi's last four starts have been a bit puzzling: Consistency bred a winless streak before matching the most runs he's allowed this season ended it.
Friday night's start in Seattle presents an opportunity for Odorizzi to combine the positives from each as the Tampa Bay Rays try for another win over the slumping Mariners.
Odorizzi (4-5, 2.61 ERA) gave up four runs on three homers and seven total hits in Sunday's 9-5 win in Baltimore and earned the decision, snapping a four-start winless streak on which he'd posted a 2.45 ERA and recorded three straight losses before beating the Orioles. He'd allowed four runs once in his other 10 starts.
"It's nice to get a win again, that's for sure," the right-hander told MLB's official website. "It's odd that it's the most runs I've given up all year and get a win for it. I guess if that's what it takes to get a win then I'll be happy to do this every time out if it gives us a win each time out."
It seems unlikely he'll allow four against Seattle. Odorizzi's start prior to beating the Orioles was a 4-1 loss to Seattle on May 25, when he gave up two runs - one earned - and five hits in seven innings. The 25-year-old is 1-1 with a 0.69 ERA and .140 opponent batting average in two starts against the Mariners. Nelson Cruz is 2 for 13 against him, and Brad Miller is 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.
The Rays (29-26) opened the series with Thursday's 2-1 victory, snapping a six-game losing streak against the Mariners (24-30) and winning for the fifth time in six games.
Joey Butler stayed hot with two hits and is 12 for 24 in his last six. He's batting .361 against left-handers, which he'll see for a fourth straight game Friday.
Seattle has dropped six straight, all at home, and another would mark its longest home skid since dropping eight straight from April 30-May 8, 2010. The Mariners haven't topped three runs in 10 games and the 2-7 span that's followed includes a .222 average and 2.33 runs per game.
Cruz was 0 for 3 and is 3 for 23 on the losing streak. Logan Morrison was out of the lineup with back spasms, but Mark Trumbo made his club debut with a 2-for-4 night one day after being acquired from Arizona.
"If we can get things clicking a little bit, and I can contribute in whatever way I can, I think opposing pitchers are going to have to work," Trumbo said.
Until then, it seems J.A. Happ and the Mariners staff will be the ones loaded with pressure. Happ (3-1, 3.70) has gone eight starts without a loss, matching his longest stretch since going 15 straight from July 2008-July 2009, but it has as much to do with a 4.60 run-support average as anything else.
The left-hander is 3-0 with a 4.00 ERA during that span after surrendering two runs and eight hits in five innings of Sunday's 6-3 home loss to Cleveland.
Happ's previous start came in Tampa Bay on May 26 in a 7-6 win, also ending without a decision after allowing three runs and seven hits in six innings. He's 2-2 with a 5.35 ERA in eight appearances against the Rays.
In his first season with Seattle, he's taken quite a liking to Safeco Field with a 2-1 record and 2.30 ERA while never allowing more than two runs in five starts.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Rays at Mariners
Thu, Jun 4 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Rays at Mariners
Fri, Jun 5 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Rays at Mariners
Sat, Jun 6 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 4
Rays at Mariners
Sun, Jun 7 - 4:10PM EDT
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