The Mariners aim for a first this season – a third straight victory – when they face the A’s tonight at Safeco Field. The last time they won three straight was Sept. 26-28 last year when they won at Tampa, then two at Texas. After that, the Mariners lost their last five games and began the offseason happy to forget nearly everything about 2010.
As for tonight, Adam Kennedy is back at first base and batting third, and Carlos Peguero is starting in left field and batting eighth. Milton Bradley, who came out of last night’s game because of lower back spasms, isn’t in the lineup. Also, Luis Rodriguez is starting at shortstop instead of struggling Brendan Ryan (2-for-14 on this homestand and batting .214 for the season) and Chris Gimenez is catching.
A few notes before we’re allowed downstairs in the clubhouse:
• Eight different players have produced game-winning RBI in the Mariners’ eight victories this season (Chone Figgins, Ryan Langerhans, Adam Kennedy, Brendan Ryan, Jack Wilson, Jack Cust, Ichiro Suzuki and Luis Rodriguez).
• With David Aardsma within a week or so of returning, the Mariners appear to have gotten everything they could have wanted from Brandon League in the interim closer role. League is 5-for-5 in save opportunities and has a 1.93 ERA in those five outings (His ERA is 3.68 in eight relief appearances overall). Aardsma pitched a strong inning Friday night for Class AAA Tacoma in his second rehab outing, allowing one walk but needing only 15 pitches (11 for strikes) to get through the inning.
• Kennedy is batting .400 with two home runs, a double and four RBI over his past four games. Besides his versatility on the field (tonight will be his fifth start at first base, and he has started six times at second and once at DH), Kennedy has been a well-traveled man in the batting order. He has batted second (once), third (tonight will be his fourth), fourth (once), fifth (twice), sixth (once) and seventh (three times). Kennedy also is the team’s emergency catcher.
• If Jason Vargas and the pen can hold the A’s without an extra-base hit tonight, the Mariners will set a franchise record of three straight games yielding nothing more than singles. The Mariners have done it in back-to-back games 23 times in their history. The last American League team to not allow an extra-base hit in three straight was the White Sox July 6-8 last year. Since 2003, only five AL teams have done it three straight games.
• The Mariners haven’t allowed in a run in 22 straight innings going back to the final four innings of Wednesday’s game against the Tigers. The franchise record is 31 straight scoreless innings in 1991.
And now, tonight Mariners lineup:
Ichiro Suzuki, right field
Chone Figgins, third base
Adam Kennedy, first base
Jack Cust, DH
Michael Saunders, center field
Luis Rodriguez, shortstop
Chris Gimenez, catcher
Carlos Peguero, left field
Jack Wilson, second base
Starting pitcher: Left-hander Jason Vargas (0-1, 4.37 ERA)
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