The faltering Tampa Bay Rays are in Seattle to take on the Mariners tonight in game one of a three game series. The AL East versus AL West matchup is set to begin at 10:10pm ET at Safeco Field. Tampa Bay Rays vs Seattle Mariners MLB Picks at SBGglobal.com have the home team Mariners listed as a slight -115 moneyline favorite.
Tampa Bay continued their downward slide on Sunday, losing to the Chicago White Sox 12-2 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The loss was their second in a row and fifth in their last six games. The Rays have fallen to 5-8 as a result of their poor play, and are alone in last place in the AL East.
The White Sox had 17 hits in the finale of their four game set with Tampa Bay. Rays starter Matt Garza got pounced on early as Chicago busted him for six hits, seven earned runs, and five walks in 5.2 innings.
Manager Joe Maddon will look to Andy Sonnanstine to stop the bleeding when the 26 year old toes the rubber against the Mariners tonight. That is an iffy possibility at best given Sonnanstine's performance this year. The Kent State product is 0-1 in two starts with a 6.52 ERA. The Rays have lost both games that he appeared in, but he was the pitcher of record in just one of the outings.
In two starts against Seattle last season, Sonnanstine went 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA.
Seattle, despite having lost two games in a row, is still a surprising 8-5 on the young season. The M's are currently in first place in the AL West with a two and a half game lead over the Oakland Athletics. They dropped their last game, an 8-2 drubbing at the hands of the Detroit Tigers on Sunday at Safeco.
Carlos Silva lasted five innings in the beating, giving up six hits and four earned runs.
Left handed veteran Jarrod Washburn will try to get the Mariners back on track this evening. The Wisconsin native is 2-0 this year with a stellar 1.29 ERA. He has worked a total of 14 innings, giving up nine hits and two earned runs in starts against the Twins and Angels.
Washburn was 1-0 versus Tampa Bay in 2008. Seattle won the game 7-1 as the 34 year old pitched seven innings and gave up just one earned run.
The Rays were 4-3 against the Mariners last season, and they won three out of four in Seattle.
SBGglobal.com Tampa Bay Rays vs Seattle Mariners MLB Picks:
Tampa Bay Rays -1.5 (+145), Over 8.5 (+100), -105 Moneyline
Seattle Mariners +1.5 (-165), Under 8.5 (-120), -115 Moneyline
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