Seattle Mariners (37-38) AT Florida Mariners (33-42)
June 24, 2011 at 10:10 PM EST
Opening Line: SEA -165, FLA +145
Current Line: SEA -153, FLA +135
Opening Total: 6.5
Current Total: 6.5
SP: SEA- Felix Hernandez, FLA- Ricky Nolasco
Nothing like toiling a few of your “home” games away on the road. Florida will play “host” to Seattle in Seattle and look to build on the terrific momentum that has enabled them to drop 20 of their last 22 games. The reason is a U2 concert, which isn’t even until Wednesday. Marlins pitcher Chris Volstad sarcastically remarked, “I guess it will be the best concert of all time, with all that time to set up.”
The Marlins won’t get things much easier tonight as they face Mariners’ staff ace Felix Hernandez. Hernandez is 7-6 on the season with a 3.34 ERA. His last outing was a 5-1 loss on Saturday, one in which he still recorded a quality start giving up only 3 runs in 7 innings. The real fun for Hernandez will be getting to hit, though, as the AL pitcher only gets such chances in interleague series AT NL parks, which this game technically is.
“It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be awful if I don’t get a hit because I don’t want to look bad in front of my home fans,” said Felix Hernandez, who has 2 hits in 21 at bats, one of which was a home run.
On the mound, Hernandez will face a Marlins team that is finally starting to struggle less. The Marlins beat the Angels 5-2 on Tuesday, yet the 5 runs wasn’t enough Wednesday as they gave up 6 runs in a 10 inning loss.
Marlins’ slugger Hanley Ramirez had 2 hits in each of hte last 2 games after going through a 3 of 35 slump. In his career at Safeco, he is 5 of 12 and the Marlins have won 2 of the 3 games. The one they didn’t win was a Hernandez matchup in which they gave up 3 runs over 7 1/3rds innings.
The Marlins will send 29 year old righty Ricky Nolasco to the mound. He’s 4-3 with a 4.48 ERA. He has struggled in his last 5 starts, however, with an 0-3 record and 8.20 ERA. So far this season, Nolasco has pitched 94.1 innings this season so far.
Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is on an 11 game hitting streak, a span over whch he has hit .426
Some betting trends:
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Seattle’s last 8 games and the Mariners are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games. The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Seattle’s last 12 games on the road and the Mariners are 1-4 SU in their last 5 on the road. The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle’s last 5 games against the Florida Marlins.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida’s last 7 games and the Marlins are 1-12 SU in their last 13 games. The Marlins are 2-13 SU in their last 15 games at home and the total has gone OVER In 4 of Florida’s last 5 games against the Mariners.
Given the fact that staff ace Felix Hernandez is starting, it’s easy to see why the Mariners are heavy favorites in this one. Florida has been struggling and rarely do struggling teams have big breakouts against stud pitchers, of which Hernandez is one.
