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The All-Star Break is drawing ever closer. After today, just one series at Coors Field is all that stands between the M’s and a week off of regular baseball activity. Fortunately, four of them will be in attendance for the game, and it’s possible that the man starting tonight could be their fifth.
#Mariners Gameday Info - July 12 at #Angels. Lineups, Game Notes & More: https://t.co/FOs5PbnWvR pic.twitter.com/t8xsFJzjbx
— MarinersPR (@MarinersPR) July 12, 2018
With the exception of one Qole Qalhoun, the Angels are running out an all-righty lineup against James Paxton. Anaheim has struggled mightily against lefty starters this year, putting up just a 7-17 record against them. Denard Span gets the start in left field, and David Freitas - who clubbed his first big-league home run last night - is behind the plate for a second straight day.
Tyler Skaggs has been the Angels’ most valuable starter this year, putting up 2.2 fWAR along with a 3.06 FIP over 92 innings. It hasn’t looked flukey, either, as he’s running the highest whiff rate of his career, and his best ground ball rate since 2014. While his 81.9% strand rate suggests he’s been the beneficiary of some sequencing luck, Skaggs is by no means a pushover, and today would be a great day for the Mariners’ bats to wake up a bit.
Game Time: 7:07 PDT
TV: ROOTNW, MLB.tv
Radio: 710 ESPN, MLB At Bat