7/12: Open Game Thread

So far, the series against Oakland has been what it was hyped up to be. A smash-mouth, emotionally charged battle between two rivals with playoff aspirations backed by an electric crowd. Game one delivered exactly that.

Now it's your turn, game two. Hisashi Iwakuma will toe the rubber today against the team he was originally supposed to sign with when he first defected. Instead, here he is pitching in a big game against that very team. In Kuma's past two starts he's been dominant, allowing just one earned run with 17 strikeouts over 13 innings.* Today would be a good time to continue doing that.

Pitching for the A's tonight will be Jesse Chavez, the terrible-reliever-turned-decent-reliever-turned-dominant-starter (because A's). Interestingly, Chavez' ERA is a hundredth of a point better than Iwakuma's this year (3.06 vs. 3.07). The good news is that the M's have already seen Chavez twice this year, and the second time they managed to tag him for four earned runs in 5.2 innings.

But enough of the numbers mumbo jumbo. Let's kick some ass! Go Mariners.

Game Info

• Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics, 7:10pm PT
• The game will be televised on ROOT Sports and broadcast on 710 ESPN
• Jesus Sucre makes his season debut today behind the dish, batting ninth

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Fernando Rodney added to AL All-Star team to replace David Price. Rodney leads AL with 27 saves and has 1.98 ERA.</p>&mdash; Greg Johns (@GregJohnsMLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregJohnsMLB/statuses/488120514334826497">July 13, 2014</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Barring problems in/after today&#39;s simulated game, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mariners?src=hash">#Mariners</a> LHP James Paxton (strained back muscle) will start Thursday for Short-A Everett.</p>— Bob Dutton (@TNT_Mariners) <a href="https://twitter.com/TNT_Mariners/statuses/488087366163128321">July 12, 2014</a></blockquote>

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*Ok, yes, they were against the Astros and Twins but shhhhhh