Cleveland Indians vs. Seattle Mariners Preview

Cleveland Indians vs. Seattle Mariners Preview

Ryan Knuppel
3 years ago
3 min read

Friday night will feature the second of a four-game set between the Cleveland Indians (21-14) and the Seattle Mariners (18-20). The Mariners will host this one at T-Mobile Park, with first pitch scheduled for 10:10 pm ET.

The Indians won the opener on Thursday, 4-2. In the win, Franmil Reyes and Jose Ramirez both homered. Starter Zach Plesac allowed just two runs over eight innings.

In the loss, Logan Gilbert made his major league debut and allowed four runs on five hits over four innings while striking out five. Dylan Moore accounted for both runs with a two-run home run in the eighth.

The Indians are the favorites despite playing on the road. They are -130 to win while the Mariners’ moneyline is +110. The runline features Seattle +1.5, and the over/under for total runs is eight.

Pitching Matchup

The Indians will send righty Aaron Civale (5-0, 2.91 ERA) to the mound Friday. He has been electric this season. In his last outing, a 9-2 win over the Reds, he went seven innings allowing just one run and striking out five.

The Mariners will counter with righty Chris Flexen (3-1, 3.78 ERA). Flexen picked up the win in his last outing as he went 6.1 innings and allowed four runs. He also allowed 10 hits, but he was able to contain the Rangers enough in a 5-4 victory.

By The Number

Cleveland has been the better of the two teams offensively. They are ranked 18th in the majors in scoring, averaging 4.15 runs per game. The Mariners rank 23rd, averaging 3.97.

Defensively, it is once again the Indians who hold the advantage. They rank sixth in runs allowed per game at 3.65. The Mariners fall to 20th, allowing opponents 4.59 runs per game.

Indians Look To Ride Hot Hand Of Civale

The Indians have gotten off to a fast start this season, trailing the White Sox by just a game in the division, and their pitching has been a big part of the reason why. In a rotation full of solid arms, Aaron Civale has been one of the best thus far.

To this point, Civale has been a complete pitcher. Batters are hitting just .207 against him, and he has 33 strikeouts versus just 14 walks in 46.1 innings. With an ERA of 2.91 and a WHIP of 1.04, he has been very tough for opposing hitters to figure out.

Offensively, Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes continue to lead the way. Ramirez is hitting .252/.336/.559 with a team-leading 11 home runs, while Franmil Reyes is hitting .265/.320/.581 with a team-leading 24 runs batted in.

Young Mariners Trying To Stay Competitive

In a solid AL West, not too many people are giving the Seattle Mariners much of a chance this year. In a year that is about the continued development of their youngsters, they are just +1800 (fourth in terms of odds) to win the division.

Still, there has been some excitement this week as top prospect Jarred Kelenic made his major league debut. While he may not have had much success Thursday night, he is a hitter to watch out for this season.

Currently leading the team offensively is Mitch Haniger. The veteran outfielder is hitting .254/.301/.528 with a team-leading 10 home runs and 27 runs batted in.

Kyle Seager has also been impressive with seven home runs and 26 runs batted in.

Civale Continues to Quiet Bats

With Civale’s dominance thus far and the Mariners’ struggles to score, this could bode well for the Indians.

That doesn’t mean that the Mariners can be taken for granted. Full of up-and-coming stars, the Mariners are a team that can catch you off guard, they just lack consistency currently.

Regardless, Friday’s game should be a lot of fun.

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