Monday, June 22, 2015 Game #71 (32-38) Safeco Field KANSAS CITY ROYALS (39-27) vs. SEATTLE MARINERS (32-38) Home #38 (16-21) TONIGHT’S GAME INFORMATION Starting Pitchers: RHP Joe Blanton (1-0, 1.80) vs. RHP Felix Hernandez (10-3, 3.08) 7:10 pm PT • Radio: 710 ESPN Seattle / Mariners.com • TV: ROOT SPORTS NW Day Date Opp. Time (PT) Mariners Pitcher Opposing Pitcher RADIO Tuesday 6/23 KC 7:10 pm LH Mike Montgomery (1-2, 2.73) vs. RH Jeremy Guthrie (5-4, 5.55) 710 ESPN Wednesday 6/24 KC 7:10 pm LH Roenis Elias (4-4, 3.56) vs. LH Danny Duffy (2-3, 5.87) 710 ESPN All games televised on ROOT SPORTS with home games on Spanish Audio via TV SAP TONIGHT’S TILT…the Mariners continue a 8-game homestand tonight with the fi rst game of a three- RECORD BREAKDOWN game series vs. the Kansas City Royals…began the homestand by splitting a pair with the Giants (1- Overall .......................................... 32-38 1) and taking two of three against the Astros (2-1)…after this series will begin a 9-game, 11-day road Home ............................................ 16-21 Road ............................................. 16-17 trip to Los Angeles-AL (3 G), San Diego (2 G) & Oakland (4 G)…tonight’s game will be televised in the vs. LH Starter.................................... 7-7 Mariners TV market on ROOT SPORTS NW and broadcast on 710 ESPN Seattle and the Mariners vs. RH Starter ...............................25-31 Radio Network. Day ................................................. 9-11 Night ............................................. 23-27 ODDS AND ENDS…won 5 of last 9, but still dropped 15 of last 27 games…16-21 at Safeco Field, 1-Run / 2-Run .....................15-12 / 5-11 including 4-10 in last 14 games…season-high 4-game winning streak May 8-12…29-32 record vs. AL Extra Inning ...................................... 4-5 teams, and 3-6 in Interleague play…8-11-4 in series played, including 7 rubber games (2-5). vs. AL / vs. NL ......................29-32 / 3-6 • AL West - 16-14 vs. the AL West (LAA: 2-4, HOU: 4-9, OAK: 5-1, TEX: 5-1). ON THE AIR • No Free Passes - Mariners are 27-14 when issuing 3 or fewer walks; 5-24 when allowing 4+ BB. For the rest of the homestand Aaron • Day Game Blues - Mariners have dropped 7 of last 8 day games (9-11 overall). Goldsmith will join Mike Blowers on • Close Games - Lead MLB with 43 of 70 games decided by 2 or fewer runs (15-12 in 1-run games). the ROOT SPORTS TV broadcast… • Extra Innings - Mariners lead the American League with 9 extra-inning games (4-5). Dave Sims and Rick Rizzs will handle • Long Stretch - Seattle is in game 40 (18-21) of 42 games in 44 days. the play-by-play call on the radio side. • 2 is better than one - Robinson Canó (T5th/18 2B), Seth Smith (T5th/17 2B) & Kyle Seager (T14th/14) STARTERS ERA all rank amongst the AL leaders in doubles. Mariners starting pitchers rank 4th in • Heating up - Austin Jackson is batting .299 (20x67) with 8 R, 6 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 6 walks in June. the American League with a 3.84 ERA… • KING vs. Royals - Felix Hernandez is 2-0, 2.48 ERA (8 ER, 29.0 IP) with 29 K in 4 home starts vs. KC. since the start of last season starters TOUGH COMPETITION…Seattle is in a stretch of 13 straight games against clubs with winning have a 3.59 ERA, 3rd-best in the AL: records…since June 12, have faced Houston (1-2), San Francisco (2-2), Houston (2-1) and will now 2015 Starting Pitching ERA face Kansas City (3 G)…will head to Anaheim to face the Angels, who are at .500, after this series…17 1. Oakland .....................................3.00 2. Tampa Bay ................................3.13 of the fi rst 20 games this month have been against teams with winning records. 3. Texas .........................................3.57 #VOTECRUZ…the top-2 vote leaders for the American League DH spot are squaring off during this 4. Seattle ......................................3.84 5. Minnesota .................................3.84 3-game set in Seattle between the Mariners and Royals…here is a statistical look at how the two players have produced during the 2015 season: INSIDE THE NUMBERS Player G AVG AB H R 2B HR RBI OPS Nelson Cruz, SEA 68 .315 257 81 36 7 19 44 .954 Kendrys Morales, KC 66 .289 242 70 35 18 8 45 .810 1.52 QUIETLY PRODUCTIVE…Seth Smith is hitting .267 (32x120) with 12 runs, 13 doubles, 1 triple, 4 Carson Smith’s ERA as a reliever this home runs and an .845 OPS in 38 games since May 9…in that stretch, his 13 doubles rank T2nd in season…only 3 Mariners relievers have the American League (Kipnis, 17)…on the season, his .808 OPS is the 11th-best amongst American had a lower ERA over a full season: J.J. League left-handed hitters…Smith is on pace for 42 doubles this season (career high is 32 in 2011). Putz (1.38 in 2007), Shigetoshi Hasega- wa (1.48 in 2003) & Norm Charlton (1.51 DRAFT SIGNINGS UPDATE…Seattle has now signed 33 of their 40 selections from the 2015 June in 1995). Draft, including each of the top 15 picks…here’s a look at today’s signings: Conner Hale - 9th round (3B from LSU) -- will report to Everett…Art Warren - 23rd round (RHP from Ashland University) -- will report to AZL Mariners…Logan James - 31st round (LHP from Stanford) -- will report to Everett…Matt 10 Walker - 36th round (RHP from Weatherford College) -- will report to AZL Mariners. Felix Hernandez leads the A.L. (2nd in HOW THE WEST WAS WON…Seattle is in G#8 of a strech of 26 consecutive games playing on the MLB) with 10 wins this season. west coast (Washington & California)…following this homestand, begin a 9-game trip to Anaheim (3 G), San Diego (2 G) & Oakland (4 G) before returning home for a 7-game homestand against Detroit (3 G) and Los Angeles-AL (4 G)…don’t play outside of the Pacifi c time zone until the series following the 13 All-Star break against New York from July 17-19. Austin Jackson has a 13-game hitting RACKING UP K’S…the Seattle pitching staff has struck out 10+ batters in each of the last three streak against KC (since 9/15/13)… during streak is hitting .315 (17x54) with games (13 on Friday, 15 on Saturday, 10 on Sunday)…it is the fi rst single-season 3-game streak with 9 runs, 4 doubles & 1 triple. 10+ strikeouts since setting a club record with 5 straight 10+ strikeout games July 18-22, 2014. 20 BEFORE THE BREAK…Nelson Cruz hit his 19th home run of the season Friday night…if he hits at least one more home run before the All-Star Game, it will be the 18th time in club history that someone 15-7 has hit 20 home runs before the break (last: Raul Ibanez, 24 in 2013)…other Mariners who have done Seattle’s record against Kansas City it include: Ken Griffey Jr. (6x), Alex Rodriguez (2x), Bret Boone (2x), Ibanez (2x), Jay Buhner (2x), since the start of the 2012 season. Edgar Martinez (2x) and Russell Branyan (1x). CLUTCH CRUZ…Nelson Cruz leads the American League with 18 go-ahead RBI (Bryce Harper, 19) and leads the Majors with 11 game-winning RBI (Starling Marte, 10)…Cruz also leads the team batting 18 .324 (23x71) with runners in scoring position and .333 (16x48) in Close and Late situations (7th inning Robinson Canó & Seth Smith are T5th in or later with the batting team ahead by one run, tied, or with the tying run on base, at bat or on deck). the A.L. with 18 doubles. HOME SWEET HOME…Seattle has a 3.03 ERA (115 ER, 342.0 IP) at Safeco Field this season, the VS. THE ROYALS 3rd-best home ERA in club history…set a club record for home ERA in 2014 at 2.93 (239 ER, 735.0 IP) The Mariners and Royals meet in the and the 2012 club had a 2.96 ERA (244 ER, 743.0 IP)…the 2.96 home ERA since the start of 2014 is 1st of 6 games this season…Seattle is the 2nd-best in the Majors just behind Washington (2.95). 15-7 against the Royals since start of 2012 season, including winning 7 of ACTION JACKSON…Austin Jackson is batting .299 (20x67) with 8 runs scored, 6 doubles, 2 triples, the last 9 games…Seattle will travel to 1 home run, 8 RBI, 6 walks and 1 stolen base in 18 games in June (.857 OPS)…in 24 games since Kansas City for a 3-game set Sept. 22- coming off the disabled list (right ankle sprain), Jackson is batting .274 (26x95) with 9 extra-base hits. 24…Seattle is 39-24 all-time at Safeco Field against the Royals. AS YOU KNOW…Felix Hernandez is going for his 11th win of the season tonight…AND YOU MAY Year Home Road Totals KNOW…that he’s just one of 5 Mariners pitchers to have at least 10 wins through the Mariners fi rst 71 2015 0-0 0-0 0-0 2014 2-2 3-0 5-2 games of the season…BUT DID YOU KNOW?…that with a win tonight, he’d join Randy Johnson as 2013 2-1 1-3 3-4 the only Seattle pitchers to win 11 games in the team’s fi rst 71 games of the season?…the only others All-Time 108-98 95-119 203-217 with at least 10 wins are Jamie Moyer (10, 2003), Freddy Garcia (10, 2002) & Dave Fleming (10, 1992).