Looking to salvage the series before heading to Tampa Bay.
SEATTLE MARINERS BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Ichiro RF Roberts 2B Winn LF Newhan LF Beltre 3B Mora 3B Sexson 1B Tejada SS Ibanez DH Sosa RF Boone 2B Palmeiro 1B Reed CF Gibbons DH Olivo C Fasano C Valdez SS Bigbie CF ---------- ----------
Franklin (2-5, 4.53) Cabrera (3-3, 5.91)
This game pits one of the league's better groundball pitchers against his polar opposite. After walking more than he struck out a year ago, Cabrera has come back to post a K/BB near 2 in the early going, but his ERA is up by a run - a lot of which has to do with a high BABIP. He's a power righty without much of a platoon split either way, and no single Mariner has faced him more than seven times (Ichiro). As for Franklin, he's had some trouble with these guys, as current Orioles have collected 118 AB's against him and put up a .305/.349/.559 line. Camden isn't as good at keeping fly balls in the yard as Safeco, so he'll need to limit the damage by avoiding the walks which have plagued him so far. It'd be great to see his K/BB end up north of 1, wouldn't it?
LET'S GO MARINERS!