SEATTLE – Hello from the Great Pacific Northwest, where the Nationals are making their bi-annual trip to face the Mariners at T-Mobile Park. It’s the first West Coast trip of the season, with a stop in Arizona coming up this weekend before they head back home.
The Nats come here playing better baseball of late but still quite a bit inconsistent at the plate. After scoring 37 runs during their five-game winning streak against the Orioles and Braves, they scored only five runs while losing two of three last weekend to the Giants. Most notably, they drew zero walks Saturday or Sunday.
This is important, because the Nationals now face a Mariners club that boasts a solid 3.69 ERA as a team. Their bullpen is even better, with a 3.43 ERA. And get this: Seattle is a perfect 21-0 when leading after seven innings this year, 24-0 when leading after eighth. The Nats have shown a propensity for coming from behind late, but this might be the wrong opponent to try to pull off that kind of magic against.
It's Mitchell Parker on the mound tonight, looking to build off a solid start last time out against the Braves. He’ll be opposed by right-hander Logan Evans, who makes the sixth start of his career, having gone 2-1 with a 3.33 ERA through his first five.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS at SEATTLE MARINERS
Where: T-Mobile Park
Gametime: 9:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 69 degrees, wind 9 mph in from left field
NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
LF James Wood
1B Nathaniel Lowe
C Keibert Ruiz
2B Luis García Jr.
DH Josh Bell
CF Robert Hassell III
3B José Tena
RF Daylen Lile
LHP Mitchell Parker
MARINERS
SS J.P. Crawford
CF Julio Rodríguez
C Cal Raleigh
LF Randy Arozarena
DH Mitch Garver
2B Dylan Moore
1B Donovan Solano
RF Leody Taveras
3B Ben Williamson
RHP Logan Evans