Angels welcome Mariners as both try to end skids
Angels welcome Mariners as both try to end skids The Seattle Mariners will try to avoid losing seven straight for the first time in nearly four years when they open a four-game series at the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night. The Mariners lost 1-0 against the visiting Cleveland Indians on Wednesday, finishing 0-6 on the homestand after coming in with a 13-2 record. Seattle still leads the majors at 6.3 runs a game, but has scored just 15 during the six-game losing streak. "Six days ago, we could score runs whenever we wanted to," Mariners manager Scott Servais told reporters after the loss on Wednesday. "We've got to get back to doing what we do, and that's controlling the strike zone. When we get pitches to hit, you've got to put a good swing on them and square them up, and we just haven't done that here this homestand." The Mariners haven't lost seven in a row since May 30 to June 5, 2015. Seattle had homered in the first 20 games of this season to set a major league record, but that streak ended on Wednesday. The Angels are also looking to turn things around after they were swept in a three-game series at the Texas Rangers. The Mariners will send veteran right-hander Felix Hernandez to the mound in the series opener in hopes of ending the losing streak. Hernandez (1-1, 4.38 ERA) is scheduled to make his 55th career start against the Angels. He's 17-18 in those games with a 3.56 ERA. Hernandez earned his first victory against Los Angeles since Aug. 15, 2016 when he went 5 1/3 innings on April 1 in Seattle, allowing three runs (one earned) and seven hits in the 6-3 victory. Hernandez was 0-2 in three starts against the Angels in the past two seasons with a 9.42 ERA in 14 1/3 innings. Angels center fielder Mike Trout is hitting .365 in his career against Hernandez with eight home runs and 20 RBIs in 85 at-bats. Hernandez hit Trout in the hand with a fastball when he faced him in the first inning earlier this season. Chris Stratton opposed Hernandez in that meeting and he'll be matched against him again on Thursday. Stratton (0-1, 5.54) has reached the fifth inning in all three starts this season, but hasn't made it to the sixth. Stratton made the only appearance of his major league career against the Mariners on April 1 and went 4 1/3 innings in the start in Seattle. He allowed four runs and seven hits in the 6-3 loss. Stratton, whom the Angels acquired in a trade with the San Francisco Giants on March 26, brought a 4-2 lead into the fifth inning against the visiting Rangers on April 7, but the former first-round draft choice was removed after the first three batters reached base, leaving him ineligible for the win in the 7-2 victory. Stratton then carried a 3-1 lead into the fifth at the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, but three of the first four batters reached base and he was removed, leaving him ineligible for the win in the eventual 6-5 victory. --Field Level Media |