Mariners vs. Nationals Preview
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) – The surging Washington Nationals have a chance to accomplish something they haven’t done this late in a season since their first in the nation’s capital.
Washington will try to move above .500 on Thursday by completing a three-game sweep of the visiting Seattle Mariners.
The Nationals scored a pair of unearned runs in a 2-1 win Wednesday, their 10th in 11 games, and helped them even their record for the first time since May 11.
According to MLB odds and oddsmakers from online sports book Bodog have made the Mariners -120 money line favorites for Thursday’s game against the Nationals. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 51% of more than 718 bets for this game have been placed on the Nationals +113.
“It’s a good place to be right now,” pitcher John Lannan said. “I’ve never been on a team that’s this far into the season and been at .500. I like it, but it’s time to kind of move past that and set new goals and start going above it.”
Washington (37-37) hasn’t been above .500 after 75 games since it was 44-31 on June 26, 2005, en route to its only non-losing finish since moving from Montreal.
“A ton of teams are .500 in June,” third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. “We’re playing good and we need to continue to play good, and if we continue to play good it’ll mean more at the end of the season.”
If the Nationals can continue to get solid pitching, they might pull off that feat Thursday. Washington’s staff has posted a 2.68 ERA over the past 21 games and its relievers have a 1.94 ERA over that stretch.
The Nationals, though, could use a better performance in interleague play from Jason Marquis (7-2, 3.86 ERA). The veteran right-hander is 4-6 with a 7.76 ERA in his last 15 starts against AL opponents and is 0-1 with an 11.37 ERA in his last three.
After going 2-0 with a 1.53 ERA in his previous three starts, Marquis gave up a season-high 12 hits and four runs to Baltimore over 5 1-3 innings Friday. He did not receive a decision in that 8-4 victory.
Marquis, though, is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in three career starts against the Mariners (37-37) and will face them for the first time since June 13, 2009.
To earn another win over Seattle, Marquis might have to outduel rookie right-hander Michael Pineda (7-4, 2.64), who bounced back from a rough outing during his first start against an NL opponent.
Pineda was tagged for a career-high six runs in a loss to Detroit on June 11 but took a no-hitter into the sixth inning during a 4-2 win over NL East-leading Philadelphia on Friday.
Pineda will try to keep the Mariners from falling below .500 for the first time since May 25, when they were 24-25.
To do that, Seattle will have to beat the Nationals for the first time since they relocated. The Mariners have dropped eight in a row in the series and are 0-5 all-time in Washington.
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