The Seattle Mariners (20-19) will be trying to pick up their second consecutive series win when they face the Boston Red Sox (22-18) in the first game of their three-game series on Monday night.
George Kirby, 4-2, 2.62 ERA, will get the start for the Mariners. The Red Sox will counter with Tanner Houck, 3-2, 5.26 ERA.
Boston is 8-2 in its last 10 games against Seattle.
**This preview was written before Sunday’s game was played**
The Mariners bounced back from their series loss to Texas with a series win over Detroit this past weekend. They will try to keep the momentum going with a win over the Red Sox, which will give them their fourth win in a row and the series lead.
Seattle is averaging 4.38 runs per game. Their .224 batting average is 29th in the league. Their .303 on base percentage is 24th, while their .373 slugging percentage is 26th.
Jarred Kelenic leads Seattle with a .289 batting average and 20 RBI, while Teoscar Hernandez leads the team with eight home runs.
Seattle’s pitching has been good, with the team giving up 3.72 runs per game. Opponents have a .226 batting average against the Mariners, which is third in the league. Their 3.25 ERA is second, while their 1.14 WHIP is fifth.
In his last start, Kirby gave up six hits and no runs in seven innings while striking out nine batters, which led to a 5-0 win over Texas. They will need a similar effort from him if they want to get the win.