The Seattle Mariners (11-12) will be going for the series win when they face the Philadelphia Phillies (11-13) in the final game of their three-game interleague series on Thursday afternoon.
George Kirby, 2-1, 3.57 ERA, will get the start for the Mariners. The Phillies will counter with Matt Strahm, 1-2, 3.00 ERA.
Philadelphia and Seattle split their last 10 meetings.
**This preview was written before Wednesday’s game was played**
The Mariners played well over the past week and they’ve won three of their last four games. They will try to keep the momentum going with another win over the Phillis, which will give them their fourth win in their last five games.
Seattle is averaging 4.48 runs per game. Their .227 batting average is 26th in the league. Their .303 on base percentage is 25th, while their .383 slugging percentage is 19th.
Jarred Kelenic leads Seattle with a .342 batting average and seven home runs, while Eugenio Suarez leads the team with 15 RBI.
Seattle’s pitching has been good, with the team giving up 4.35 runs per game. Opponents have a .233 batting average against the Mariners, which is fifth in the league. Their 3.70 ERA is ninth, while their 1.24 WHIP is 10th.
In his last start, Kirby g ave up three hits and two runs in six innings, leading to a 5-2 win over St. Louis. They will need a similar effort from him if they want to get the win.