Seattle @ Cleveland preview
Progressive Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 13, 2010 ) Seattle 3, Cleveland 2
The Seattle Mariners have struggled to score runs all season. Now the Cleveland Indians are learning what that’s like.
Trades and injuries have left the Indians in a full-blown youth movement. Left with a pronounced void, the team even forced Jordan Brown into batting cleanup in Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Mariners.
So what’s the big deal with that? Well, Brown has just one RBI in nine games – in his career.
But injuries to Travis Hafner (shoulder), Grady Sizemore (knee) and Carlos Santana (knee), combined with the trades of Austin Kearns, Russell Branyan and Jhonny Peralta have left the Indians with few options in their lineup.
Friday was the fifth time in 12 games that the Indians have scored two runs or less.
The Mariners can certainly relate. Their 373 runs are the fewest in the baseball, although they’ve managed to win four of their last five despite failing to score more than three runs in any of those contests.
The lineup should receive a boost with the return of outfielder Michael Saunders, who missed a week with a jammed shoulder and neck after trying to make a catch while crashing into the wall in left field. Saunders is batting just .236, but went 1-for-3 on Friday in his return.
Pitching has been a big key for Seattle’s recent success, particularly in the bullpen. Closer David Aardsma has four saves in the Mariners' last six games. He is 7-for-7 in save situations since July 11 and has solidified the back end of the bullpen after a rocky start.
Aardsma closed out Friday’s victory for his 23rd save. All three of the Mariners’ runs on Friday were scored on balls that didn’t leave the infield. Still, the team is 3-1 under interim manager Daren Brown and will look to Jason Vargas on Saturday to keep the hot streak going.
Vargas has won his last two starts and has allowed two runs or less in five of his last six starts. He faced the Indians last year and was crushed for six runs in four innings of a loss at home in July.
The Indians will counter with Mitch Talbot, who is expected to be activated off the disabled list prior to the game. Talbot hasn’t pitched since July 29 because of a mid-back sprain.
Talbot hasn’t won since June 27 and is just 2-5 since the start of that month.
The Indians are scuffling during this nine-game homestand. After giving fits to teams like the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins, they have started this homestand 2-5 against the struggling Baltimore Orioles and Mariners.