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Seattle Mariners

Mariners Pregame: James Paxton back on the bump, lineups and starters

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher James Paxton throws against the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning on May 31, 2017, in Seattle. (Ted S. Warren / Associated Press)
By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

Game 59: The Seattle Mariners (28-30) host the Minnesota Twins (29-24) in the first of a three-game series on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. at Safeco Field.

The Mariners enter play winners in seven of their last eight games and are 4-1 on the current 11-game homestand, including a three-game sweep from the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend.

Minnesota leads the A.L. Central by one game over Cleveland but is 4-6 over its last 10 games. The Twins are just 12-18 at home but an impressive 17-6 on the road.

James Paxton takes the hill for the first time since his triumphant return from the disabled list last week, when he shut out the Colorado Rockies over 5 1/3 innings in a 5-0 win to kick off the current homestand.

Paxton has tossed 1-2-3 innings in 20 of his 45 innings this season (44.4 percent), currently the third-highest rate in MLB, trailing only Boston’s Chris Sale (46.5 percent) and the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw (45.9 percent).

INJURY NEWS: Seattle has two players, OF Mitch Haniger and RHP Felix Hernandez, beginning rehab assignments tonight with AAA Tacoma. Haniger (grade 2 strain of his right oblique muscle) and Hernandez (bursitis in his right shoulder) were both placed on the 10-day disabled list on April 26.

Lineups and starters

Courtesy @MarinersPR
Courtesy @MarinersPR

Starters: LHP James Paxton (4-0, 1.26) vs. LHP Hector Santiago (4-5, 4.76)

Mariners Notes

  • Over their last eight games, the Mariners 6-7-8-9 hitters have combined to hit .424 (50 for 118) with 25 runs, 10 doubles, five home runs and 34 RBI. Over the last eight games, the Mariners are averaging 7.1 runs per game.
  • Dating back to April 11, RHP Nick Vincent has held opponents scoreless in 20 of his last 21 appearances, including tossing six scoreless innings over his last eight games.
  • Over the last 13 games, the Mariners relief corps has combined to post a 1.50 ERA (eight earned runs in 48 innings, the best bullpen ERA in the Majors during that span

This Day in Mariners History

In 1993, Chris Bosio, Norm Charlton, Bill Haselman and Mackey Sasser are ejected after a 20-minute brawl in Baltimore. Lou Piniella is ejected following the fight for arguing about Baltimore ejections. Bill Haselman had homered in the fifth off Mike Mussina and was hit-by-pitch his next at bat in the seventh and the brawl was on.