Seattle seeks series split in Bronx
Loud rap music permeated the Seattle clubhouse at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, signifying one of the Mariners' better performances of late, one that resembled the first few weeks of the season when the team raced out to a 13-2 record.
On Thursday, the Mariners get a chance to record consecutive wins for the first time in nearly two weeks when they conclude a four-game series with the New York Yankees.
The Mariners, who are 7-17 in their past 24 games, totaled 14 hits and got homers from Edwin Encarnacion, Ryon Healy and Mitch Haniger in a 10-1 win Wednesday. The Yankees captured the first two games of the series, 7-3 and 5-4.
Encarnacion has four of his 12 homers in the past five games and Seattle has 13 of its major-league-leading 74 homers in that span. Healy doubled three times Wednesday in addition to his home run, and Haniger had two hits after entering the game in a 6-for-42 slide (.143).
"Really top to bottom, great to see," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "When we throw up a 20-pitch inning (on offense) early in the ballgame, it usually ends up being a good night for us whether we score or not. We had 20-something in the first. ... That's what you like to see early in the game, and we got after it pretty good tonight."
The Yankees, who are 15-6 in their past 21 games, are coming off their most lopsided loss of the season. New York was no-hit into the sixth inning by Yusei Kikuchi, managed just five hits overall and did not hit a homer.
"We didn't make much hard contact against (Kikuchi)," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "He was in command from the get-go."
DJ LeMahieu had two of New York's hits and is batting .486 (18-for-37) during a 10-game hitting streak.
The Yankees may be without third baseman Gio Urshela on Thursday due to a left knee contusion. He fouled a ball off his knee in the seventh inning Wednesday and exited the game, but X-rays were negative. If he sits out Thursday, Miguel Andujar could start at third.
Mike Leake (2-3, 4.91 ERA) starts Thursday for Seattle, seeking his first win in more than a month. Leake began the season 2-0 with a 2.92 ERA, but in his past five starts, he is 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA.
The 31-year-old right-hander last pitched Saturday and took a no-decision at Cleveland when he allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings.
Leake is facing the Yankees for the first time with Seattle. He is 0-2 with a 5.54 ERA in two career starts against New York when he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds.
J.A. Happ, who is pitching better of late, starts Thursday for the Yankees.
In his first three starts, Happ was 0-2 with an 8.76 ERA and did not complete five innings in any of those outings. In his past four outings, he is 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA.
Happ (1-3, 4.93 ERA) last pitched Saturday in a 7-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins when he allowed four runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed homers to Mitch Garver and C.J. Cron and has surrendered at least one homer in six starts.
The veteran left-hander is facing the Mariners for the first time since joining the Yankees. He is 4-2 with a 5.06 ERA in seven career starts vs. Seattle. On May 10, 2018, he allowed seven runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings against the Mariners while pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays.
--Field Level Media
