#91: Mariners Need Big Rebound Wednesday

GAME: Red Sox (55-37, 1st, AL East, 3 GA) at Mariners (40-50, 4th, AL West, 13.5. GB). GAME #: 91. SERIES: 3rd of 4 games. MEETING: 3rd (series tied 1-1). WHEN: Wednesday, 7:10 a.m., Safeco Field. STREAKS: Mariners L 1; Red Sox W 1. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

Since July 2, following consecutive losses to the Chicago White Sox, the Mariners have largely lived a charmed existence. Except for a 13-4 belch at Cincinnati July 6 that may have cost Kennewick’s Jeremy Bonderman his career, the Mariners have been competitive in all and victorious in most, including in five of seven heading into Tuesday night’s fracas with the Boston Red Sox.

The Mariners couldn’t quite get it done against the Beaneaters in Game 2 of the series, failing to weather a barrage of five Boston home runs and falling 11-8 after holding a 5-1 lead.

With a reeling Hisashi Iwakuma unable to fix himself — he took a no-decision but allowed a season-high six earned runs — the Mariners will turn to Aaron Harang Wednesday.

Harang doesn’t have much of a history against Boston — just three starts — but at Safeco Field he’s 3-3 with a 4.18 ERA in eight starts, including two shutouts. Harang will oppose Felix Doubront, a lefty on a roll: He’s posted a 2.87 ERA in his last 10 starts and is 3-2 with a 4.40 ERA on the road. Doubront earned a no-decision in his only previous start at Safeco Field.

Seattle has not won a season series from the Red Sox since 2009.

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLES

MARINERS: RHP Aaron Harang (4-7, 4.92 ERA, 1.23 WHIP)

The 35-year-old Harang, a San Diego native in his 12th major league season and first with Seattle, will make his 15th start and first against Boston. Harang threw six solid innings in his return to Cincinnati Friday, scoring his first victory since blanking the Houston Astros 4-0 June 11. He has issued five walks in his past seven outings and has not allowed more than three earned runs in his past three.

• LAST START: July 5 at Cincinnati, won 4-2; 3 earned runs on 5 hits in 6.0 innings; 4 strikeouts, 1 walk, 1 home run, 91 pitches, 60 for strikes.

• LAST VS. RED SOX: July 13, 2008, won 3-1; 1 earned run on 4 hits in 7.0 innings; 7 strikeouts, 0 walks, 0 home runs, 118 pitches, 78 for strikes.

• CAREER VS. RED SOX: 2-1, 3.63 ERA in 3 starts covering 17.1 innings; 18 strikeouts, 7 walks, 1 home run, 1.32 WHIP.

• AT SAFECO FIELD: 4-4, 3.06 ERA in 11 starts covering 67.2 innings; 54 strikeouts, 13 walks, 6 home runs, 0.91 WHIP.

• LOVES TO FACE: Dustin Pedroia (0-for-3, .000), Stephen Drew (2-for-14, .143).

• HATES TO FACE: Jonny Gomes (1-for-1, 1.000), David Ortiz (3-for-6, .500), David Ross (4-for-12, .333).

• CURRENT RED SOX VS. HARANG: 20-for-67, .299 BA, 7 strikeouts, 5 walks, 3 home runs, .347 on-base percentage.

RED SOX: LHP Felix Doubront (5-3, 4.11 ERA, 1.44 WHIP)

The 25-year-old Doubront, a Venezuela native in his fourth major league season, all with Boston, will make his 16th start and first against the Mariners. Doubront snapped a two-game losing streak in his last start by defeating the L.A. Angels, 6-2. He has worked into the seventh inning only five times. He threw his best game June 1 when he held the Yankees to one earned run in 6.0 innings. The Red Sox originally signed Doubront as an amateur free agent in 2005.

• LAST START: July 5 at L.A., defeated the Angels 6-2; 2 earned runs on 5 hits in 6.2 innings; 5 strikeouts, 2 walks, 1 home run, 92 pitches, 61 for strikes.

• LAST VS. MARINERS: July 1, 2012, took a no-decision in Boston’s 2-1 victory; 1 earned run on 3 hits in 4.1 innings; 4 strikeouts, 5 walks, 0 home runs, 103 pitches, 61 for strikes.

• CAREER VS. MARINERS: 0-0, 1.59 ERA in 2 games, including 1 start, covering 5.2 innings; 6 strikeouts, 6 walks, 0 home runs, 1.58 WHIP.

• AT SAFECO FIELD: 0-0, 2.08 ERA in 1 start covering 4.1 innings; four strikeouts, 0 walks, 0 home runs, 1.84 WHIP.

• LOVES/HATES TO FACE: Seattle hitters have had only 11 at-bats against Doubront (2-for-11, .182). Brendan Ryan has both hits.

MARINERS STATS / NOTES

• CURRENT HOME STAND: Four vs. Boston (Monday-Thursday), three vs. the Los Angeles Angels (Friday-Sunday). The end of the Angels series coincides with the start of the All-Star break.
• The Mariners have homered in 17 consecutive games (two by Kendrys Morales Tuesday) since June 20.
• The two homers by Morales Tuesday, his 12th and 13th of the season, marked the second time he had two in a game (July 2 at Texas).
• Hisashi Iwakuma has allowed 10 home runs over his past four starts after allowing 10 in his first 15 starts.
• Kyle Seager extended his hitting streak to nine games Tuesday (2-for-5) and is batting .364 over that stretch. Seager has three hitting streaks of nine or more games this season.
• Brad Miller has six extra-base hits — four doubles, two triples — in his first 11 major league games.
• Raul Ibanez went 0-for-5 Tuesday and saw his 13-game hitting streak come to an end. During the streak he hit .364.
• The Mariners have scored 10 or more runs in a game 27 times vs. the Red Sox. The 11 runs they scored Monday marked their first 10+-run game against Boston since May 13, 2005.

UPCOMING PROBABLES