GAME: Twins (50-68, 5th, AL Central, – 15.0 GB) at Mariners (56-64, 4th, AL West, – 13.0 GB). GAME #: 121. SERIES: 2nd of 3 games. MEETING: 5th (Mariners lead 3-1). WHEN: Saturday, 6:10 p.m., Safeco Field. PROBABLE PITCHERS: LHP Scott Diamond (Minnesota, 10-5, 2.97) vs. LHP Jason Vargas (Seattle, 13-8, 3.56). STREAKS: Mariners W 3; Twins L 3. TV: ROOT Sports, MLB TV. RADIO: KTTH 770 (Seattle), Mariners Radio Network.
Seattle’s starters, who mowed down 42 consecutive batters from the ninth inning Tuesday to the fifth inning Friday (that’s the longest streak in the majors since at least 1974), are 15-6 with a 2.64 ERA with 20 quality starts over the last 27 games. Excluding the obvious, Felix Hernandez, the Mariners have no better candidate to continue their recent mound success than Jason Vargas.
Vargas (13-8), on the mound Saturday, has won six of his past seven starts, including his best one. He will oppose Scott Diamond, who has won three of his past five and faces the Mariners for the first time in his career. A closer look:
MARINERS: LHP Jason Vargas (13-8, 3.56 ERA, 1.12 WHIP)
The 29-year-old Vargas, in his seventh major league season and fifth with the Mariners, will make his league-high 26th start and second against the Twins. Vargas, the American League Pitcher of the Month for July, lost to Twins 3-2 May 4 and is coming off a 4-1 victory over Jered Weaver and the Angels Aug. 12. Vargas has won six of his past seven starts.
A native of Apple Valley, CA., the 6-0, 215-pound Vargas was selected in the second round of the 2004 amateur draft by the Florida Marlins.
He made his debut with Florida July 14, 2005, pitching one inning of relief in a 13-7 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Mariners acquired Vargas as part of a three-team swap Dec. 11, 2008, when the New York Mets sent him along with Mike Carp, Ezequiel Carrera, Endy Chavez, Maikel Cleto and Aaron Heilman to the Mariners. The Mariners sent Sean Green, J.J. Putz and Jeremy Reed to the Mets.
The Mariners also sent Luis Valbuena to the Indians. The Mets sent Joe Smith to the Indians, who sent Franklin Gutierrez to the Mariners.
Vargas, the only lefty in Seattles starting rotation, has a career record of 41-47, 4.32 ERA, including 33-39, 4.03 ERA with the Mariners. Vargas run of six wins in his last seven decisions follows two no-decisions and three straight losses.
- LAST START: Aug. 12 at Anaheim, pitched his best game of the season, allowing one earned run on seven hits in 8.1 innings; five strikeouts, one walk; 96 pitches, 69 for strikes.
- LAST VS. TWINS: May 4 at Safeco Field, lost 3-2; one earned run on four hits in 6.1 innings; five strikeouts to two walks; 103 pitches, 63 for strikes.
- CAREER VS. TWINS: 2-1, 4.02 ERA in six games, including five starts, covering 31.1 innings; 16 strikeouts to 12 walks; 4.6 strikeouts per nine innings; three home runs.
- AT SAFECO FIELD: 20-18, 3.41 ERA in 55 games, including 51 starts, covering 335.0 innings; 231 strikeouts to 89 walks; 6.2 strikeouts per nine innings; 1.16 WHIP; 31 home runs.
- LOVES TO FACE: Josh Willingham (0-for-14, .000 BA), Drew Butera (1-for-9, .111 BA), Justin Morneau (1-for-6, .167 BA), Denard Span (3-for-13, .231 BA).
- HATES TO FACE: Chris Parmelee (3-for-5, .600 BA), Jamey Carroll (5-for-10, .500 BA), Joe Mauer (3-for-8, .375 BA).
- CURRENT TWINS VS. VARGAS: 23-for-86, .267 BA, two home runs, 13 strikeouts.
Vargas / 2012
- March 29 (ND, 0-0): Pitched well enough to win in Tokyo, but after he departed the game, the bullpen imploded, surrendering three home runs, greasing Seattles 4-1 defeat to Oakland.
- April 6 (W, 1-0): Threw 91 pitches, 58 for strikes, finishing with an in-game ERA of 2.31 in a 7-3 victory over Oakland, Vargas first win.
- April 12 (L, 1-1): Four earned runs on seven hits and lost to Derek Holland and the Rangers 5-3 in Arlington; fanned six and walked one; gave up a two-run bomb to Michael Young, who had four RBIs; threw 96 pitches, 63 strikes.
- April 18 (W, 2-1): One earned run on four hits over 7 innings, defeating Indians, 4-1; had nine ground-ball outs and nine fly-ball outs.
- April 24 (W, 3-1): Four runs on six hits, defeating Max Scherzer and the Tigers 7-4 in a game in which the Mariners banged out 15 hits; struck out four, walked one in a 94-pitch effort that included 61 strikes.
- April 29 (L, 3-2): Two earned runs on four hits over 6.0 innings and suffered the loss to the Blue Jays; struck out four, walked three; season-high 111 pitches, 60 for strikes.
- May 4 (ND, 3-2): No-decision in Seattles 3-2 loss to Minnesota at Safeco Field; one earned run on four hits over 6.1 innings, but lost a chance to win on Wilhelmsens throwing error.
- May 9 (W, 4-2): Defeated Detroit 2-1 at Safeco Field; one run on five hits over 8.0 innings; struck out six and didnt issue a walk; threw 90 pitches, 66 for strikes.
- May 14 (L, 4-3): At Fenway Park, lost to Red Sox 6-1; five earned runs on seven hits over 6.0 innings; struck out three, walked three; two home runs.
- May 19 (W, 5-3): At Coors Field, won his fifth decision of the year, defeating Colorado 10-3; three earned runs on five hits over 7.0 innings; struck out one, walked one and gave up one home run; threw 95 pitches, 64 for strikes.
- May 24 (L, 5-4): At Safeco Field, lost to the Angels 3-0 in a game in which Dan Haren registered 14 strikeouts; three earned runs on seven hits in 7.0 innings; struck out six, walked none; one home run.
- May 29 (W, 6-4): At Rangers Ballpark, defeated the Texas Rangers 10-3; three earned runs on five hits in 6.2 innings; struck out three, walked two and allowed a home run; threw 101 pitches, 61 for strikes.
- June 4 (W, 7-4): At Angels Stadium, defeated the Angels 8-6; three earned runs on five hits in 6.2 innings; struck out two, walked three; one home run; threw 101 pitches, 61 for strikes.
- June 9 (L, 7-5): 8-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Safeco Field; five earned runs on nine hits over 6.0 innings; struck out three, walked one; one home run.
- June 15 (L, 7-6): Vs. San Francisco, lost 4-2; four earned runs on 10 hits in 8.0 innings; struck out one, walked two, two home runs; threw 106 pitches, 70 for strikes.
- June 20 (L, 7-7): At Arizona, lost 14-10; season-high 10 earned runs on 10 hits, including five home runs in a season-low 4.1 innings; struck out two, walked two.
- June 26 (ND, 7-7): At Safeco Field, a no-decision in a 3-2 win over Oakland Athletics; two runs on five hits in 7.0 innings; struck out a career-high 10 and walked two.
- July 1 (ND, 7-7): At Safeco Field, lost to Boston 2-1; one run on five hits over 8.0 innings; struck out six, walked two, one home run.
- July 7 (W, 8-7): Vs. Oakland at Safeco Field, defeated the Athletics 7-1 with a complete-game seven-hitter; struck out six and walked one, throwing 107 pitches, 66 for strikes.
- July 16 (W, 9-7): At Kansas City, won 9-4; three earned runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings; struck out three, walked three, two home runs.
- July 21 (W, 10-7): At Tampa Bay, won 2-1; one unearned run on seven hits in 6.0 innings; struck out five, walked three, threw 108 pitches, 67 for strikes.
- July 26 (W, 11-7): At Safeco Field, defeated Kansas City 4-1 for his 11th win; one earned run on one hit over 8.0 innings; struck out five and walked three.
- July 31 (W, 12-7): At Safeco Field, defeated Toronto 7-2; two earned runs on five hits over 7.0 innings; four strikeouts, two walks, no home runs; 103 pitches, 70 for strikes.
- Aug. 6 (L, 12-8): At Baltimore, lost 3-1; three earned runs on eight hits over 8.0 innings; two strikeouts, no walks, one home run; 105 pitches, 73 for strikes.
- Aug. 12 (W, 13-8): At Anaheim, pitched his best game of the season, allowing one earned run on seven hits in 8.1 innings; five strikeouts, one walk; 96 pitches, 69 for strikes.
TWINS: LHP Scott Diamond (10-5, 2.97 ERA, 1.18 WHIP)
The 26-year-old Diamond, in his second major league season, b0th with the Twins, will make his 19th start and first against the Mariners. Diamond has won three of his past five decisions and is coming off a no-decision in Minnesota’s 7-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays Aug. 12 in Minneapolis.
A native of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, the 6-3, 220-pound Diamond attended Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute in Guelph and the State University of New York at Binghamton, NY. The Atlanta Braves signed Diamond as an amateur free agent in 2007.
Diamond pitched in the Braves minor league system until Dec. 9, 2010, when he was selected by the the Twins in the Rule V draft. Diamond made his major league debut July 18, 2011 in Minnesota’s 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians. Diamond was the losing pitcher after allowing three earned runs on four hits in 6.1 innings. He allowed one home run.
Diamond went 1-5, 5.08 over the balance of the 2011 season, working 39.0 innings covering seven starts. He struck out 19 batters but walked 17 in that span.
Diamond has a career record of 11-10, 3.48.
- 2012: Compiled a 4-1, 2.60 record at Rochester of the International League and joined the Twins rotation May 8 when he recorded a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Diamond has worked into the seventh inning in seven starts and allowed three or fewer earned runs 14 times. He had his best game July 27 when he threw an 11-0, complete-game shutout over the Cleveland Indians, scattering three hits.
- LAST START: Aug. 12 vs Tampa Bay, took a no-decision in a 7-3 Twins lost; allowed three earned runs on eight hits in 7.0 innings; struck out six and walked two, but surrendered two home runs.
- LAST VS. MARINERS: Never faced.
- CAREER VS. MARINERS: No record.
- AT SAFECO FIELD: No record.
- LOVES/HATES TO FACE: Diamond has pitched to just one Mariner, Jesus Montero, who is 1-for-2, 1 K.
AL WEST STANDINGS
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road | Last 10 | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rangers | 68 | 50 | .576 | — | 36-22 | 32-28 | 5-5 | Lost 1 |
| Athletics | 63 | 55 | .534 | 5.0 | 35-26 | 28-29 | 5-5 | Won 2 |
| Angels | 62 | 58 | .517 | 7.0 | 33-27 | 29-31 | 3-7 | Lost 2 |
| Mariners | 56 | 64 | .467 | 13.0 | 28-30 | 28-34 | 5-5 | Won 3 |
MARINERS / STATS NOTES
- CURRENT HOME STAND: Three vs. Tampa Bay Rays; three vs. Minnesota Twins Friday-Sunday; three vs. Cleveland Indians Monday-Wednesday.
- HOME STAND PROMOTIONS: 35th Anniversary First Pitches: Bob Wolcott, who made MLB debut in a Mariners jersey in 1995, will throw out the first pitch Saturday; Mariners Care Silent Auction Every Saturday home game the Mariners host a Silent Auction to benefit Mariners Care. Select memorabilia including autographed baseballs, game-used bats, autographed jerseys worn in the Mariners TV commercials and other items. Section 128 . . . Safeco Field Soil from Cedar Grove Composting will be given out after Saturdays game with 5,000 fans receiving bags. Recycling/composting diverts an estimated 900,000 pounds of peanut shells, leftover food, compostable service wear and grass clippings from Safeco Field waste stream. The waste is transformed by Cedar Grove into compost, prized by Northwest gardeners . . . Sunday — Salute to Kids Day: Fans 6-14 can sign up to work dream jobs at Safeco Field, including reporter, groundskeeper, public address announcer and more. All kids 14 and under will take home a Felix Hernandez T-shirt courtesy of Boeing . . . Kids Run the Bases: Following the game, all youngsters 14 and under are invited down to the field to run the Safeco Field bases . . . Senior Special Day: Fans 60 and over receive $5 off select View Level seats or $10 off select Main Level seats. Available at the Safeco Field box office and Mariners Team Stores with a valid ID. One ticket per senior per game . . . Tuesday — To celebrate pitching perfection, the Mariners will turn Safeco Field into the Supreme Court as Felix Hernandez takes the mound against the Indians. Tuesday will mark Felixs first start after the first perfect game in Mariners history Wednesday, beating the Tampa BayRays 1-0. The usual Kings Court section in left field for Felixs home starts has been expanded to the Supreme Court for this game. The first 34,000 (in honor of his uniform number 34) fans entering the ballpark Tuesday will receive a special bright yellow King of Perfection T-shirt and the commemorative K card will include a classic photo from the perfect game on the back side. Special ticket prices will be featured Tuesday. View Level seats have been priced as low as $10 and Main Level seats as low as $30.
- MARINERS VS. TWINS: Mariners are 233-286 all-time vs. the Twins, including 38-26 at Safeco Field. Mariners played a three-game series vs. Minnesota May 4-6, winning two. Mariners last swept a three-game series from Minnesota at Safeco Field July 27-29, 2001. Minnesota last swept Seattle at Safeco Field April 17-19, 2007.
- LOG: The Mariners have won 10 of their past 11 games at Safeco Field after beating Minnesota 5-3 Friday and are 12-5 at home since the All-Star break . . . Justin Morneau’s double to open the fifth inning snapped a streak of 42 consecutive batters retired by Mariners pitchers, longest streak in the majors since at least 1974 . . . Hisashi Iwakuma, the winner Friday, has won three of his past four decisions. He’s 3-2, 3.19 in eight starts . . . John Jaso, who went 2-for-3 with a home run to lift his batting average to .292, is .343 with five home runs since the All-Star break . . . Miguel Olivo’s home run off Nick Blackburn Friday was the ninth of the season. Olivo is now 12-for-24 with four home runs off Blackburn in his career . . . Mariners Friday recalled LHP Charlie Furbush from a rehab assignment at AAA Tacoma and sent LHP Shawn Kelley to Tacoma. Furbush made five rehab appearances with the Rainiers, posting a 6.00 ERA with seven strikeouts . . . Due to conflicts with Seahawks football coverage, some Mariners games will be broadcast on KTTH 770-AM instead of 710 ESPN Seattle, including Saturday, then Aug. 24 and Sept. 9, 16 and 30.
- SEASON SUMMARY: Series Record: Won 16, Split 2, Lost 21 . . . Sweeps: 4; Swept: 4 . . . Longest Win Streak: 7 (July 26-Aug. 1); Longest Losing Streak: 7 (April 28-May 4) . . . Vs. AL East: 14-23; vs. AL Central: 17-12; vs. AL West: 17-19; vs. LAA: 4-6; vs. Oak: 7-6; vs. Tex: 6-7; vs. NL West: 8-10; vs. Interleague: 8-10 . . . Biggest Lead: 1.0, April 7; Farthest Behind: 17.5, July 15 . . . Most Runs Scored: 21, May 30 at Texas (21-8); Most Runs Allowed: 11, April 9 at Texas . . . Walk-Off Wins: 5, May 7, first since Sept. 14, 2011 vs. New York, and first via a sacrifice fly (John Jaso) since Sept. 14, 2007 vs. Tampa Bay (Jose Guillen); June 17 vs. San Francisco (Justin Smoak ninth-inning single); June 28 vs. Boston (Jaso ph ninth-inning single); June 30 vs. Boston (Chone Figgins sacrifice fly 11th inning); Aug. 14, vs. Tampa, Eric Thames ninth-inning single scored Figgins . . . Walk-Off Losses: 8, April 30 at Tampa Bay, Elliott Johnson, RBI single in 12th off BrandonLeague; May 17, at Cleveland, Carlos Santana bases-loaded single off League in 11th; July 6, at Oakland, Chris Carter 3-run walk-off homer off Steve Delabar; July 7, at Oakland, Josh Reddick run-scoring double off Oliver Perez in 13th; July 18, at Kansas City, Billy Butler, home run off Josh Kinney in bottom 9th; July 20, at Tampa Bay, Ben Zobrist double off Tom Wilhelmsen in bottom 14th; Aug. 7, Adam Jones 14th-inning single off Shawn Kelley in bottom 14th; Aug. 10, Josh Kinney wild pitched in the winning run (Bourjos) with the bases loaded in the ninth inning at Anaheim . . . Times Opponent Shut out: 8; Times Shut out by Opponent: 11; Comeback Wins: 14; Largest Comeback: 3; Blown Leads: 30; Largest Comeback: 3.
- BATTING: Mariners rank 14th (AL) in runs (470), 12th in hits (944), 12th in doubles (179), sixth in triples (21) and 13th in home runs (101) . . . Rank 13th in batting average (.232), 14th in on-base percentage (.292), 14th in slugging (.361) and 14th in OPS (.653) . . . batting 221-for-891 (.248) with runners in scoring position after going 3-for-9 Friday . . . Batting Average: John Jaso, .292; Hits: Kyle Seager, 106; Runs: Dustin Ackley, 65; Home Runs: Justin Smoak, Kyle Seager, 13; RBIs: Kyle Seager, 68 . . Batted around six times: April 7 at Oakland (4th inning), April 9 at Texas (1st), April 17 vs. Cleveland (4th), May 29 at Texas (8th), May 30 at Texas (2nd and 3rd).
- BATTING EXTRA: Longest Hitting Streak: Dustin Ackley, 13 games, May 3-17 . . . Four-Hit Games: Ichiro, March 28 vs. Oakland; Justin Smoak, April 17 vs. Cleveland; Jesus Montero, May 1 at Tampa; Kyle Seager, May 30 at Texas; Michael Saunders, June 2, at Chicago; Ichiro, June 19 at Arizona; Franklin Gutierrez, June 22 at San Diego . . . Grand Slams (2): Michael Saunders, April 27 at Toronto; Alex Liddi, May 23 vs. Texas . . . Back-To-Back Home Runs (2): Jesus Montero, Justin Smoak, 3rd inning, May 20, at Colorado; Miguel Olivo, Dustin Ackley, 8th inning, July 2, vs. Baltimore.
- PITCHING: Mariners third in ERA (3.76), second in hits allowed (979), third in runs allowed (477), seventh in home runs allowed (128), third in walks (324) and fifth in strikeouts (890) . . . Games: Tom Wilhelmsen, 53; Starts: Jason Vargas, Felix Hernandez, 25; Wins: Vargas 13; ERA: Hernandez 2.60; Complete Games: Hernandez 4 . . . Shutouts: Hernandez 4; Saves: Wilhelmsen, 17.
- DEBUTS: Munenori Kawasaki (April 7), Lucas Luetge (April 7), Erasmo Ramirez (April 9), Hisashi Iwakuma (April 20), Stephen Pryor (June 2), Carter Capps (Aug. 3).
- DISABLED LIST: George Sherrill (60-day, April 13, strained flexor bundle), Franklin Gutierrez (7-day, June 29, concussion).
- EX-MARINERS VS. CURRENT MARINERS: April 19, Jack Hannahan, Indians, 2-run single in ninth off Brandon League in Tribe’s 2-1 win; April 28, Brandon Morrow, Blue Jays, one earned run over 7.0 innings in 7-0 win; May 11, Raul Ibanez, Yankees, 3-run homer off Felix Hernandez in 6-2 win; May 12, Raul Ibanez, Yankees, solo homer off Hector Noesi in 6-2 win; May 15, David Ortiz, Red Sox, solo homer off Blake Beaven in 5-0 Red Sox win; May 16, Shin-Soo Choo (3), Asdrubal Cabrera (2) and Jose Lopez (1) combined for 6 hits in 9-3 Cleveland win; May 17, Casey Kotchman (2), Cabrera (2), Jose Lopez (1), Choo (1) had six of Cleveland’s 10 hits, plus 5 RBIs, in a 6-5 win; July 4, Chris Tillman recorded first win of the year in a 4-2 Baltimore win by allowing two runs over 8.1 innings; July 13, Adrian Beltre two-run HR off Kevin Millwood in a 3-2 Texas win at Safeco Field; July 15, Beltre had three hits and two RBIs in a 4-0 Texas win over Seattle at Safeco Field; July 23, Four ex-Mariners played roles in beating the Mariners 4-1: Ichiro, traded 3 1/2 hours before the opening pitch, singled and stole his 16th base; Alex Rodriguez belted his 40th career home run at Safeco Field; Raul Ibanezhad an RBI single; Rafael Soriano notched the save; July 26, Soriano notched his 26th save in New York’s 5-2 win over the Mariners at Safeco Field; Aug. 5, Raul Ibanez clubbed a three-run homer, Freddy Garcia won his 150th career game and Ichiro extended his hitting streak to 12 games as the Yankees defeated the Mariners 6-2; Aug. 6, Chris Tillman took a three-hit shutout into the eighth and defeated the Mariners 3-1 at Camden Yards; Aug. 7, Adam Jones walk-off single against Shawn Kelley in the bottom of the 14th gave Baltimore an 8-7 win over Seattle.
2012 RECORDS / MILESTONES
- April 24: Catcher Miguel Olivo matched the franchise record when he was charged with three passed balls in a 7-4 win at Detroit. Jerry Narron let three balls get by him Oct. 4, 1980, and Jeff Clement did likewise Aug. 10, 2008 (Clement was catching knuckleballer R.A. Dickey).
- April 27: Michael Saunders joined Donnie Scott (April 29, 1985) and Jimmy Presley (April 8, 1986) as the only Mariners to hit two home runs in a game in the ninth inning or later (solo homer in the 9th, grand slam in the 10th).
- April 30: When both Miguel Olivo and Jesus Montero homered, it marked the first time in franchise history that two players had homered in the same game as a catcher.
- May 2: Ichiro set a club record for most putouts by a right fielder in a nine-inning game, registering 10 in a 5-4 loss at Tampa.
- May 3: The Mariners featured a lineup at Tampa Bay that included seven left- handed hitters and two switch-hitters. It marked only the third time in club history that the Mariners used an all left-sided lineup. Others: Aug. 13, 1983 at California and Aug. 9, 1983 at Oakland.
- May 5: Combined one-hitter by Felix Hernandez and Steve Delabar vs. Minnesota was the 13th in Mariners history. Ten have been thrown by one pitcher, three combined. Most recent combined: Michael Pineda, Jeff Gray and Brandon League vs. Tampa, July 30, 2011. Most recent by one pitcher: Jarrod Washburn, July 6, 2009.
- May 9: When John Jaso batted leadoff against Detroit, it marked the first time since 1978 that a catcher had hit first for the Marines (Bob Stinson). Oddly, lefty Jaso led off against Tiger lefty Drew Smyly.
- May 8: Kevin Millwood’s 2-0 shutout marked his first in nearly nine years. He did not surrender his first hit until there were two outs in the sixth. Millwood’s gem marked only the fourth time in 1,440 games at Coors Field that an opposing pitcher held the Rockies to two hits or less while shutting them out. Millwood’s complete game also was the first by a Mariner in 2012.
- May 27: The pinch-hit grand slam allowed by Felix Hernandez to Alberto Callaspo marked just the sixth against the Mariners in 35 years, and the first since May 6, 1988 when Pat Sheridan of Detroit hit one off Mike Jackson.
- May 30: Mariners defeated Texas 21-8, just the third time in franchise history they have scored 20 or more runs in a game. The Mariners, with 20 hits, became the first team since 1880 to score 20 runs in a game in the same season it also go perfect-oed.
- June 8: Kevin Millwood and five relievers collaborated for the 10th combined no-hitter in major league history in a 1-0 win over the Dodgers at Safeco Field. Millwood (6.0), Charlie Furbush (0.2), Stephen Pryor (0.1), Lucas Luetge (0.1), Brandon League (0.2), and Tom Wilhelmsen (1.0) tied the MLB record for most pitchers used in a no-hitter (Houston vs. the Yankees June 11, 2003). It marked the third no-hitter in Mariners history.
- June 18: Aaron Hill of Arizona hit for the cycle in the Diamondbacks’ 7-1 win over the Mariners. Hill singled in the first (Hector Noesi), tripled in the third (Noesi), doubled in the fifth (Noesi) and homered in the seventh (Shawn Kelley).
- June 19: Ichiro reached 2,500 hits (first-inning single) in the fourth-fewest games in major league history during a 12-9 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. His 2,500th hit came in his 1,817th game. Al Simmons had 2,500 hits in 1,784 games, Ty Cobb in 1,790 and George Sisler in 1,808 . . . When Kyle Seager and Brendan Ryan both hit three-run homers in the fifth inning, it marked the first time since July 30, 2003 vs. Detroit that the Mariners had a pair of three-run bombs in the same inning. In that July 30, 2003 game, John Olerud hit a three-run homer and Randy Winn a grand slam in the first inning.
- July 1: One-time Mariner farmhand David Ortiz of the Red Sox hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning, giving Boston a 2-1 win over the Mariners.
- July 3: In Seattle’s 6-3 win over Baltimore at Safeco Field, The Mariners had three Japanese players in the starting lineup – Ichiro Suzuki, Munenori Kawasaki and Hisashi Iwakuma – for the first time in major league history.
- July 23: Mariners traded Ichiro, face of the franchise for 11 1/2 years, to the Yankees for two prospects and cash considerations. Ichiro made his debut against Seattle with the Yankees at Safeco field and went 1-for-4 with a stolen base.
- Aug. 15: Felix Hernandez threw the 23rd perfect game in major league history, defeating Tampa Bay 1-0 at Safeco Field. Hernandez recorded 12 strikeouts in throwing the third no-hitter in franchise history . . . Mariners became the first team in MLB history to throw a perfect game and have one thrown against them. It was also the first time two have been thrown in the same stadium in one season . . . Of the 22 previous perfect games, six were by 1-0 scores, the last by Roy Halladay May 29, 2010 at Florida. It was also the fourth 1-0 win for the Mariners this season . . .Hernandez became the second Latin American pitcher to do the deed (Nicaragua’s Dennis Martinez for Montreal July 28, 1991, against the Dodgers) . . . Hernandez became the second Latin American pitcher to do the deed (Nicaragua’s Dennis Martinez for Montreal July 28, 1991, against the Dodgers).
MARINERS WON-LOSS BREAKDOWN
| Rec. | Home | Road | Day | Night | vs. RHP | vs. LHP | Hit HR | No HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56-64 | 28-30 | 28-34 | 15-21 | 40-45 | 37-45 | 19-19 | 36-28 | 18-36 |
MARINERS BATTING PROFILE
| Avg. | Home | Road | R | HR | OBP | SLG | OPS | RISP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .232 | .210 | .249 | 470 | 101 | .292 | .361 | .653 | .248 |
MARINERS PITCHING PROFILE
| Rec. | ERA | IP | R | ER | HR | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56-64 | 3.76 | 1079.0 | 477 | 450 | 128 | .243 | .303 | .392 |
PROBABLE PITCHERS
| Date | Day | Opp. | Probable Pitchers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/18 | Sat | vs. Min | Jason Vargas (13-8, 3.56) vs. Scott Diamond (10-5, 2.97) |
| 8/19 | Sun | vs. Min | Blake Beavan (7-7, 5.17) vs. Samuel Deduno (4-0, 3.38) |
| 8/20 | Mon | vs. Cle |
Kevin Millwood (4-10, 4.28) vs. TBA |
| 8/21 | Tue | vs.
Cle |
Felix Hernandez (11-5, 2.60) vs. TBA |
| 8/22 | Wed | vs.
Cle |
Hisashi Iwakuma (3-3, 4.16) vs. TBA |
MARINERS 2012 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
March (1-1)
| Gm.# | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3/28 | at Oak | W, 3-1 | 1-0 | W: Wilhelmsen (1-0); L: Carignan (0-1) |
| 2 | 3/29 | at Oak | L, 4-1 | 1-1 | W: Colon (1-0); L: Kelley (0-1) |
April (10-12)
| Gm. # | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4/6 | at Oak | W, 7-3 | 2-1 | W: Vargas (1-0); L: McCarthy (0-1) |
| 4 | 4/7 | at Oak | W, 8-7 | 3-1 | W: Hernandez (1-0); L: Colon (1-1) |
| 5 | 4/9 | at Tex | L, 11-5 | 3-2 | W: Darvish (1-0); L: Noesi (0-1) |
| 6 | 4/10 | at Tex | L, 1-0 | 3-3 | W: Feliz (1-0); L: Beavan (0-1) |
| 7 | 4/11 | at Tex | W, 4-3 | 4-3 | W: Luetge (1-0); L: Nathan (0-2) |
| 8 | 4/12 | at Tex | L, 5-3 | 4-4 | W: Holland (1-0); L: Vargas (1-1 |
| 9 | 4/13 | vs Oak | L, 4-0 | 4-5 | W: Colon (2-1); L: Hernandez (1-1) |
| 10 | 4/14 | vs. Oak | W, 4-0 | 5-5 | W: Noesi (1-1); L: Milone (1-1) |
| 11 | 4/15 | vs. Oak | W, 5-3 | 6-5 | W: Beavan (1-1); L: Godfrey (0-2) |
| 12 | 4/17 | vs. Cle | L, 9-8 | 6-6 | W: Perez (0-1); L: Furbush (0-1) |
| 13 | 4/18 | vs. Cle | W, 4-1 | 7-6 | W: Vargas (2-1); L: Lowe (2-1) |
| 14 | 4/19 | vs. Cle | L, 2-1 | 7-7 | W: Tomlin (1-1); L: League (0-1) |
| 15 | 4/20 | vs. CWS | L, 7-3 | 7-8 | W: Sale (2-1); L: Noesi (1-2) |
| 16 | 4/21 | vs. CWS | L, 4-0 | 7-9 | W: Humber (1-0); Beavan (1-2) |
| 17 | 4/22 | vs. CWS | L, 7-4 | 7-10 | W: Danks (2-2); L: Millwood (0-1) |
| 18 | 4/24 | at Det | W, 7-4 | 8-10 | W: Vargas (3-1); L: Scherzer (1-2) |
| 19 | 4/25 | at Det | W, 9-1 | 9-10 | W: Fernandez (2-1); L: Wilk (0-3) |
| 20 | 4/26 | at Det | W, 5-4 | 10-10 | W: Furbush (1-1); L: Porcello (1-2) |
| 21 | 4/27 | at Tor | W, 9-5 | 11-10 | W: Furbush (2-1); L: Perez (2-1) |
| 22 | 4/28 | at Tor | L, 7-0 | 11-11 | W: Morrow (2-1); L: Millwood (0-2) |
| 23 | 4/29 | at Tor | L, 7-2 | 11-12 | W: Alvarez (1-2); L: Vargas (3-2) |
| 24 | 4/30 | at TB | L, 3-2 | 11-13 | W: Howell (1-0); L: League (0-2) |
May (12-17)
| Gm. # | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 5/1 | at TB | L, 3-1 | 11-14 | W: Moore (1-1); L: Noesi (1-3) |
| 26 | 5/2 | at TB | L, 5-4 | 11-15 | W: Shields (5-0); L: Beavan (1-3) |
| 27 | 5/3 | at TB | L, 4-3 | 11-16 | W: Niemann (2-3); L: Millwood (0-3) |
| 28 | 5/4 | vs. Min | L, 3-2 | 11-17 | W: Pavano (2-2); L: Wilhelmsen (1-1) |
| 29 | 5/5 | vs. Min | W, 7-0 | 12-17 | W: Hernandez (3-1); L: Marquis (2-1) |
| 30 | 5/6 | vs. Min | W, 5-2 | 13-17 | W: Noesi (2-3): L: Blackburn (0-4) |
| 31 | 5/7 | vs. Det | W, 3-2 | 14-17 | W: Delabar (1-0); L: Dotel (1-1) |
| 32 | 5/8 | vs. Det | L, 6-4 | 14-18 | W: Verlander (3-1); L: Millwood (0-4) |
| 33 | 5/9 | vs. Det | W, 2-1 | 15-18 | W: Vargas (4-2); L: Putkoen (0-1) |
| 34 | 5/11 | at NYY | L, 6-2 | 15-19 | W: Kuroda (3-4); L: Hernandez (3-2) |
| 35 | 5/12 | at NYY | L, 6-2 | 15-20 | W: Hughes (3-4); L: Noesi (2-4) |
| 36 | 5/13 | at NYY | W, 6-2 | 16-20 | W: Millwood (1-4); L: Pettitte (0-1) |
| 37 | 5/14 | at Bos | L, 6-1 | 16-21 | L: Lester (2-3); L: Vargas (4-3) |
| 38 | 5/15 | at Bos | L, 5-0 | 16-22 | W: Beckett (3-4); L: Beavan (1-4) |
| 39 | 5/16 | at Cle | L, 9-3 | 16-23 | W: Jimenez (4-3): L: Hernandez (3-3) |
| 40 | 5/17 | at Cle | L, 6-5 | 16-24 | W: Smith (4-1); L: League (0-3) |
| 41 | 5/18 | at Col | W, 4-0 | 17-24 | W: Millwood (2-4); L: White (0-3) |
| 42 | 5/19 | at Col | W, 10-3 | 18-24 | W: Vargas (5-3); L: Friedrich (1-1) |
| 43 | 5/20 | at Col | W, 6-4 | 19-24 | W: Beavan (2-4); L: Guthrie (2-2) |
| 44 | 5/21 | vs. Tex | W, 6-1 | 20-24 | W: Hernandez (4-3); L: Darvish (6-2) |
| 45 | 5/22 | vs. Tex | L, 3-1 | 20-25 | W: Harrison (5-3): L: Noesi (2-5) |
| 46 | 5/23 | vs. Tex | W, 5-3 | 21-25 | W: Millwood (3-4); L: Feldman (0-2) |
| 47 | 5/24 | vs. LAA | L, 3-0 | 21-26 | W: Haren (2-5); L: Vargas (5-4) |
| 48 | 5/25 | vs. LAA | L, 6-4 | 21-27 | W: Isringhausen (1-0); L: League (0-4) |
| 49 | 5/26 | vs. LAA | L, 5-3 | 21-28 | W: Williams (5-2); L: Hernandez (4-4) |
| 50 | 5/27 | vs. LAA | L, 4-2 | 21-29 | W: Wilson (5-4); L: Noesi (2-6) |
| 51 | 5/28 | at Tex | L, 4-2 | 21-30 | W: Harrison (6-3); L: Delabar (1-1) |
| 52 | 5/29 | at Tex | W, 10-3 | 22-30 | W: Vargas (6-4); L: Feldman (0-3) |
| 53 | 5/30 | at Tex | W, 21-8 | 23-30 | W: Beaven (3-4); L: Holland (4-4) |
June (11-16)
| Gm. # | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 6/1 | at CWS | L, 7-4 | 23-31 | W: Jesse Crain (1-0); L: Shawn Kelly (0-2) |
| 55 | 6/2 | at CWS | W, 10-8 | 24-31 | W: Wilhelmsen (2-1); L: Reed (0-1) |
| 56 | 6/3 | at CWS | L, 4-2 | 24-32 | W: Sale (7-2); L: Millwood (3-5) |
| 57 | 6/4 | at LAA | W, 8-6 | 25-32 | W: Vargas (7-4); L: Santana (2-7) |
| 58 | 6/5 | at LAA | L, 6-1 | 25-33 | W: Richards (1-0); L: Beavan (3-5) |
| 59 | 6/6 | at LAA | W, 8-6 | 26-33 | W: Kelley (1-2); L: Williams (6-3) |
| 60 | 6/8 | vs. LAD | W, 1-0 | 27-33 | W: Pryor (1-0); L: Elbert (0-1) |
| 61 | 6/9 | vs. LAD | L, 8-3 | -27-34 | W: Kershaw (5-3): L: Vargas (7-5) |
| 62 | 6/10 | vs. LAD | L, 8-2 | 27-35 | W: Billingsley (4-4); L: Beavan (3-6) |
| 63 | 6/12 | vs. SDP | L, 5-4 | 27-36 | W: Richard (3-7); L: Hernandez (4-5) |
| 64 | 6/13 | vs. SDP | L, 1-0 | 27-37 | W: Marquis (3-5); L: Noesi (2-7) |
| 65 | 6/14 | vs. SDP | L, 6-2 | 27-38 | W: Volquez (3-6); L: Ramirez (0-1) |
| 66 | 6/15 | vs. SF | L, 4-2 | 27-39 | W: Vogelsong (6-2); L: Vargas (7-6) |
| 67 | 6/16 | vs. SF | W, 7-4 | 28-39 | W: Iwakuma (1-0); L: Lincecum (2-8) |
| 68 | 6/17 | vs. SF | W, 2-1 | 29-39 | W: Wilhelmsen (3-1); L: Romo (2-1) |
| 69 | 6/18 | at AZ | L, 7-1 | 29-40 | W: Miley (8-3); L: Noesi (2-8) |
| 70 | 6/19 | at AZ | W, 12-9 | 30-40 | W: Furbush (3-1); L: Putz (1-4) |
| 71 | 6/20 | at AZ | L, 14-10 | 30-41 | W: Cahill (6-5): L: Vargas (7-7) |
| 72 | 6/22 | at SDP | L, 9-5 | 30-42 | W: Richard (5-7); L: Millwood (3-6) |
| 73 | 6/23 | at SDP | W, 5-1 | 31-42 | W: Fernandez (5-5); L: Marquis (3-7) |
| 74 | 6/24 | at SDP | L, 2-0 | 31-43 | W: Volquez (4-7); L: Noesi (2-9) |
| 75 | 6/25 | vs. Oak | L, 1-0 | 31-44 | W: Milone (8-5); L: Ramirez (0-2) |
| 76 | 6/26 | vs. Oak | W, 3-2 | 32-44 | W: Furbush (4-1); L: Miller (2-1) |
| 77 | 6/27 | vs. Oak | L, 2-1 | 32-45 | W: Parker (4-3); L: Iwakuma (1-1) |
| 78 | 6/28 | vs. Bos | W, 1-0 | 33-45 | W: Hernandez (6-5); L: Atchison (2-1) |
| 79 | 6/29 | vs. Bos | L, 5-0 | 33-46 | W: Cook (2-1); L: Noesi (2-10) |
| 80 | 6/30 | vs. Bos | W, 3-2 | 34-46 | W: Kelley (2-2); L: Aceves (0-5) |
July (15-11)
| Gm. # | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | 7/1 | vs. Bos | L, 2-1 | 34-47 | W: Padilla (2-0); L: League (0-5) |
| 82 | 7/2 | vs. Bal | W, 6-3 | 35-47 | W: Delabar (2-1); L: Hammel (8-4) |
| 83 | 7/3 | vs. Bal | L, 5-4 | 35-48 | W: Day (5-0); L: Furbush (4-2) |
| 84 | 7/4 | vs. Bal | L, 4-2 | 35-49 | W: Tillman (1-0); L: Noesi (2-11) |
| 85 | 7/6 | at Oak | L, 4-2 | 35-50 | W: Norberto (1-1); L: Perez (0-1) |
| 86 | 7/7 | at Oak | W, 7-1 | 36-50 | W: Vargas (8-7); L: Parker (5-4) |
| 87 | 7/8 | at Oak | L, 2-1 | 36-51 | W: Norberto (2-1); L: Perez (0-2) |
| 88 | 7/13 | vs. Tex | L, 3-2 | 36-52 | W: Holland (6-4); L: Millwood (3-7) |
| 89 | 7/14 | vs. Tex | W, 7-0 | 37-52 | W: Hernandez (7-5); L: Darvish (10-6) |
| 90 | 7/15 | vs. Tex | L, 4-0 | 37-53 | W: Harrison (12-4); L: Iwakuma (1-2) |
| 91 | 7/16 | at KC | W, 9-4 | 38-53 | W: Vargas (9-7); L: Sanchez (1-6) |
| 92 | 7/17 | at KC | W, 9-6 | 39-53 | W: Beavan (4-6): L: Verdugo (0-1) |
| 93 | 7/18 | at KC | L, 8-7 | 39-54 | W: Holland (4-2); L: Kinney (0-1) |
| 94 | 7/19 | at KC | W, 6-1 | 40-54 | W: Hernandez (8-5); L: Smith (0-1) |
| 95 | 7/20 | at TB | L, 4-3 | 40-55 | W: McGee (3-2); L: Wilhelmsen (3-2) |
| 96 | 7/21 | at TB | W, 2-1 | 41-55 | W: Vargas (10-7); L: Cobb (4-7) |
| 97 | 7/22 | at TB | W, 2-1 | 42-55 | W: Beavan (2-1); L: Moore (6-7) |
| 98 | 7/23 | vs. NYY | L, 4-1 | 42-56 | W: Kuroda (10-7); L: Millwood (3-8) |
| 99 | 7/24 | vs. NYY | W, 4-2 | 43-56 | W: Hernandez (9-5); L: Garcia (4-4) |
| 100 | 7/25 | vs. NYY | L, 5-2 | 43-57 | W: Phelps (2-3); L: Luetge (1-1) |
| 101 | 7/26 | vs. KC | W, 4-1 | 44-57 | W: Vargas (11-7); L: Mendoza (4-7) |
| 102 | 7/27 | vs. KC | W, 6-1 | 45-57 | W: Beavan (6-6); L: Guthrie (3-11) |
| 103 | 7/28 | vs. KC | W, 4-3 | 46-57 | W: Millwood (4-8); L: Chen (7-9) |
| 104 | 7/29 | vs. KC | W, 7-6 | 47-57 | W: Perez (1-2); L: Mijares (2-2) |
| 105 | 7/30 | vs. Tor | W, 4-1 | 48-57 | W: Iwakuma (2-2); Romero (8-8) |
| 106 | 7/31 | vs. Tor | W, 7-2 | 49-57 | W: Vargas (12-7); L: Laffey (2-2) |
August (7-5)
| Gm. # | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 107 | 8/1 | vs. Tor | W, 5-3 | 50-57 | W: Beavan (7-6); L: Villanueva (6-1) |
| 108 | 8/3 | at NYY | L, 6-3 | 50-58 | W: Sabathia (11-3); L: Millwood (4-9) |
| 109 | 8/4 | at NYY | W, 1-0 | 51-58 | W: Hernandez (10-5); L: Kuroda (10-8) |
| 110 | 8/5 | at NYY | L, 6-2 | 51-59 | W: Garcia (5-5); L: Iwakuma (2-3) |
| 111 | 8/6 | at Bal | L, 3-1 | 51-60 | W: Tillman (5-1); L: Vargas (12-8) |
| 112 | 8/7 | at Bal | L, 8-7 | 51-61 | W: O’Day (6-0); L: Kelley (2-3) |
| 113 | 8/8 | at Bal | L, 9-2 | 51-62 | W: Johnson (1-0); L: Millwood (4-10) |
| 114 | 8/10 | at LAA | L, 6-5 | 51-63 | W: Frieri (2-0); L: Kinney (0-2) |
| 114 | 8/11 | at LAA | W, 7-4 | 52-63 | W: Iwakuma (3-3); L: Haren (8-9) |
| 116 | 8/12 | at LAA | W, 4-1 | 53-63 | W: Vargas (13-8); L: Weaver (15-2) |
| 117 | 8/13 | vs. TB | L, 4-1 | 53-64 | W: Cobb (7-8); L: Beavan (7-7) |
| 118 | 8/14 | vs. TB | W, 3-2 | 54-64 | W: Pryor (2-0); L: Rodney (2-2) |
| 119 | 8/15 | vs. TB | W, 1-0 | 55-64 | W: Hernandez (11-5); L: Hellickson (7-8) |
| 120 | 8/17 | vs. Min | W, 5-3 | 56-64 | W: Iwakuma (4-3); L: Blackburn (4-9) |
| 121 | 8/18 | vs. Min | — | — | —– |
| 122 | 8/19 | vs. Min | — | — | —– |
| 123 | 8/20 | vs. Cle | — | — | —– |
| 124 | 8/21 | vs. Cle | — | — | —– |
| 125 | 8/22 | vs. Cle | — | — | —– |
| 126 | 8/24 | at CWS | — | — | —– |
| 127 | 8/25 | at CWS | — | — | —– |
| 128 | 8/26 | at CWS | — | — | —– |
| 129 | 8/27 | at Min | — | — | —– |
| 130 | 8/28 | at Min | — | — | —– |
| 131 | 8/29 | at Min | — | — | — |
| 132 | 8/30 | at Min | — | — | — |
| 133 | 8/31 | vs. LAA | — | — | — |