Seattle @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Jun 27, 2018 ) Seattle 8, Baltimore 7
After using late rallies for two straight dramatic wins, the Seattle Mariners will try to complete a four-game road sweep of the struggling Baltimore Orioles on Thursday. The Orioles have dropped four in a row overall and 14 of their last 15 home games en route to the majors’ worst record.
The Mariners rallied for their 23rd comeback win in an 8-7 triumph in 11 innings Wednesday. Kyle Seager was the hero for the second straight night, hitting a game-tying two-run homer off Zach Britton in the ninth before Denard Span’s sacrifice fly plated Jean Segura with the go-ahead run in the 11th. For all their woes, the Orioles had only lost once in 21 prior games this season in which they took a lead to the ninth. The Mariners send veteran right-hander Mike Leake to the mound having won eight of the last nine games he has started.
TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Mike Leake (8-4, 4.11 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Jimmy Yacabonis (0-0, 15.43)
Leake has recorded quality starts in six of his last seven starts and is coming off his best outing of the season. The 30-year old struck out five and allowed three hits over eight scoreless innings to win at Boston on Saturday. Leake has only faced the Orioles once, in 2014, and was tagged for seven runs over four innings in a no-decision.
Yacabonis will make his first major-league start in place of injured right-hander Dylan Bundy. The 26-year-old has made 16 relief appearances in the majors across the past two seasons. Yacabonis has been effective as a starter at Triple-A Norfolk this season, going 3-2 with a 3.14 ERA in 13 starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Seattle RHP Edwin Diaz recorded his 30th save Wednesday, surpassing Kazuhiro Sasaki for the most in team history before the All-Star break.
2. Orioles DH Mark Trumbo is 13-for-39 with five homers during an 11-game hitting streak.
3. Mariners DH Nelson Cruz (back) sat out a second straight game Wednesday.
PREDICTION: Mariners 8, Orioles 4