Wednesday, August 1, 2018 Game #108 (63-44) Safeco Field SEATTLE MARINERS (63-44) vs. HOUSTON ASTROS (68-41) Home #56 (35-20) TODAY’S GAME INFORMATION Starting Pitchers: LHP Wade LeBlanc (6-1, 3.51) vs. LHP Dallas Keuchel (8-9, 3.60) 1:10 pm PT • Radio: 710 ESPN / Mariners.com • TV: ROOT SPORTS Day Date Opp. Time (PT) Mariners Pitcher Opposing Pitcher RADIO Thursday Aug. 2 TOR 7:10 pm RH Félix Hernández (8-9, 5.58) vs. TBA 710 ESPN Friday Aug. 3 TOR 7:10 pm LH Marco Gonzales (12-5, 3.37) vs. LH Ryan Borucki (0-2, 2.83) 710 ESPN Saturday Aug. 4 TOR 7:10 pm LH James Paxton (9-4, 3.49) vs. RH Marco Estrada (4-8, 4.90) 710 ESPN Sunday Aug. 5 TOR 1:10 pm RH Mike Leake (8-7, 4.16) vs. RH Sam Gaviglio (2-4, 5.10) 710 ESPN All games televised on ROOT SPORTS with home games featuring Spanish Audio via TV SAP TODAY'S TILT…the Mariners continue a 2-team, 7-day, 7-game homestand with the finale (1-1) of three SCOREBOARD WATCHING games against Houston…will face Toronto for 4 games, beginning tomorrow…just concluded a brief The Mariners enter play today 4.0 games behind the Astros for the lead in the AL 3-game road trip to Los Angeles-AL (1-2)...today's game will be televised on ROOT SPORTS NW and West Division, but have a 1.0 game lead broadcast live on 710 ESPN Seattle and the Mariners Radio Network. on Oakland for the final AL Wild Card spot: ODDS AND ENDS…the Mariners have won 16 of their last 29 games, including a season-high 8-game TEAM W-L Pct. GB winning streak (6/25-7/3)…the Mariners have also won 23 of their last 43 games, 30 of their last 52, 34 of Houston 68-41 .624 - - - Seattle 63-44 .589 -4.0 their last 58, 39 of their last 64 and 41 of their last 68…Seattle is 49-33 in its last 82 games, 54-36 over its Oakland 63-46 .578 -5.0 last 90 games and 59-40 in its last 99 games…Seattle is 20-17 during the day and 43-27 at night…Seattle Los Angeles 54-54 .500 -13.5 is 35-20 at Safeco Field, 28-24 on the road. Texas 46-63 .422 -22.0 TEAM W-L Pct. GB • Whiff - Edwin Díaz has struck out his first batter faced 24 times this season, tied with Adam Ottavino-COL New York 68-37 .648 +6.0 for most in the Majors…Díaz has struck out his first batter in 45.3% (24x53) of his appearances this season. Seattle 63-44 .589 - - - • As Easy as 1-2-3 - Edwin Díaz retired the Astros in order in the 9th inning Monday for his 40th save of the Oakland 63-46 .578 -1.0 season…in 24 of his 40 saves, he has faced the minimum 3 batters in an outing of exactly 1.0 inning, the Tampa Bay 54-53 .505 -9.0 Los Angeles 54-54 .500 -9.5 most such saves in the Majors…Craig Kimbrel-BOS is 2nd with 17 saves of 1.0 inning and 3 batters faced. • First Things First - Dee Gordon is batting .356 (32x90) with 21 runs scored, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 walk MOVING UP and 2 HBP when leading off a game this season…his 32 hits to lead off a game are the most in the Majors. The Mariners have the 4th-best winning • Close Games - the Mariners are 41-17 (.707) this season in games decided by 1 or 2 runs, the highest percentage in the Majors this season: winning percentage in the Majors…the Mariners are 27-14 (.659) in 1-run games (most 1-run wins in MLB) Rk. Team WIN PCT and 14-3 (.824) in games decided by exactly 2 runs (best 2-run winning percentage in MLB). 1. Boston ............................. .688 (75-34) • Four Score - the Mariners are 44-13 when scoring 4-or-more runs, but are 19-31 when scoring 3-or-fewer runs. 2. New York-AL .................... .648 (68-37) • Get Through 8 - the Mariners are 1 of 3 Major League clubs with a 1.000 winning percentage (56-0) when 3. Houston ........................... .624 (68-41) leading after 8 innings this season, joining New York-AL (58-0) and Oakland (51-0). 4. Seattle ............................. .589 (63-44) 5. Oakland ........................... .578 (63-46) • Bullpen Bullies - Edwin Díaz has not allowed an earned run over his last 14.0 innings spanning 14 ap- pearances (6/25-c), while Alex Colomé has an active 12.2 scoreless innings streak over 13 games (6/30-c). INSIDE THE NUMBERS LEFTIES ON PARADE…Mariners left-handed starting pitchers have combined to go 27-10 with a 3.44 ERA (139 ER, 363.1 IP) in 60 starts this season…James Paxton (9-4, 3.49) and Marco Gonzales (12-5, 3.37) lead Mariners southpaws with 21 starts apiece, followed by Wade LeBlanc (6-1, 3.51 in 16 GS), 3.31 Roenis Elías (0-0, 4.91 in 1 GS) and Aríel Miranda (0-0, 1.80 in 1 GS)…Seattle southpaws have combined The Mariners have a 3.31 ERA (182 ER, for 31 quality starts this season, 2nd-most among any club's left-handers behind only Boston (38); Paxton 499.0 IP) at Safeco Field this season, which ranks 3rd in the AL/4th in the leads Mariners lefties with 13 quality starts, followed by Gonzales (12) and LeBlanc (6)…the Mariners are Majors in home ERA…trails Tampa Bay 39-21 in games started by left-handers this season; only the Red Sox have won more such games (53). (3.01/152 ER, 455.0 IP), Los Angeles- NL (3.24/177 ER, 492.0 IP) and Houston SOUTHPAW SLUGGERS…Jean Segura ranks 10th in the American League with a .319 (36x113) average (3.30/188 ER, 512.0 IP). vs. left-handed pitchers…Nelson Cruz has hit 8 home runs off lefties, tied with 5 other players for 4th-most in the AL…Dee Gordon (4th/39) and Segura (T8th/36) each rank among the AL leaders in hits vs. LHP. NEW FACES…with the additions of OF Cameron Maybin and RHP Adam Warren to the 25-man roster 4 today, the Mariners have 7 players on the active roster who were not with the organization on Opening Nelson Cruz has hit 4 career home Day…Maybin (7/31 trade with MIA) and Warren (7/30 trade with NYY) are joined by RHP Alex Colomé (5/25 runs off Houston starter Dallas Keuchel, trade with TB), LHP Zach Duke (7/30 trade with MIN), C Chris Herrmann (signed as MiLB free agent on most of any player. 4/5), OF Denard Span (5/25 trade with TB) and RHP Sam Tuivailala (7/27 trade with STL). THE EDWIN DÍAZ FILE…Edwin Díaz recorded his Major League-leading 40th save of the season on 7 Monday…he becomes the 4th pitcher in single-season club history to notch at least 40 saves, joining Sam Tuivailala recorded his 7th outing Fernando Rodney (48, 2014), Kazuhiro Sasaki (45, 2001) and J.J. Putz (40, 2007)…Díaz has 87 strikeouts this season of at least 1.1 scoreless this season, 3 shy of setting a single-season career-high; he had 89 strikeouts last season after recording innings pitched last night vs. the Astros. 88 punchouts in his rookie campaign of 2016 (appeared in 49 games after being called up to the Majors in June)…with his next strikeout, Díaz will join Dick Radatz (1962-64 w/BOS) as the only primary relievers in Major League history to record at least 88 strikeouts in each of their first 3 seasons. 14 SPAN-TASTIC…since joining the Mariners on May 28, Denard Span is batting .301 (47x156) with 19 Dee Gordon has hit safely in 14 of his last 17 games, including 6 multi-hit runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, 18 RBI, 12 walks, a .343 on-base percentage and a .468 slugging games (7/8-c), batting .329 (24x73). percentage (.811 OPS)…among Mariners with at least 150 plate appearances over that span, he ranks 2nd in slugging, 2nd in OPS and 3rd in batting…in 7 games batting 3rd in the order this season, Span is batting WHAT A START .414 (12x29) with 5 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run, 3 RBI and 1 walk…in 19 career games hitting 3rd, The Mariners are 63-44 (.589), their 4th- he is batting .354 (23x65) with 11 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 8 RBI and 6 walks. best record through the first 106 games of a season in club history: WHAT A RELIEF…the Mariners lead the Major Leagues in saves (42) and holds (78)…since 1973, only Rk. Season WIN PCT 6 clubs have led the Majors in saves and holds in the same season, most recently the 1992 Oakland 1. 2001 ................................. .720 (77-30) Athletics…Edwin Díaz leads the Majors with 40 saves, while Juan Nicasio is T9th in MLB with 19 holds, 2. 2002 ................................. .607 (65-42) 2003 .................................. .607 (65-42) and Alex Colomé is T11th with 18 holds. 4. 2018 ................................. .589 (63-44) 5. 2000 ................................. .579 (62-45) HOME SWEET HOME…the Mariners have the 4th-best home winning percentage in the Majors…Seattle is 35-20 (.636) at Safeco Field…only Boston (.717/38-15), New York-AL (.717/38-15) and Philadelphia (.654/34- VS.