The Seattle Mariners try for a second straight win when they face the Colorado Rockies in the first of a two-game interleague series on Tuesday night. The series opener is scheduled for an 8:40 p.m. ET first pitch at Coors Field in Denver.
Seattle took two of three against the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend, including the series finale on Sunday. The Mariners are 50-44 and in third place in the AL West, trailing the second-place Oakland Athletics by three games and leading the fourth-place Los Angeles Angels by 3½ games.
Colorado avoided a sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 10-inning win on Sunday, improving to 41-53. The Rockies are in fourth place in the NL West, trailing the third-place San Diego Padres by 13 games and leading the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks by 14 games.
If you want to bet on this game, the MLB odds have the Rockies with a moneyline of -175, while the Mariners are listed at +165. The over/under for the contest has been set at 11 runs.
Hot Hitter
Outfielder Mitch Haniger was named the American League Player of the Week on Monday, and he enters this series on a nine-game hit streak. Haniger went 5-for-11 with a double, two home runs and six RBIs in the three-game series against the Angels over the weekend. He’s batting .266 with team-high totals of 22 home runs, 58 RBIs and 65 runs scored.
First baseman Ty France had a big series as well, going 7-for-12 with a home run and four RBIs. France has 20 doubles, nine home runs, 41 RBIs and 42 runs scored this season.
Left-hander Marco Gonzales will get the start for the Mariners in the series opener. He’s 1-5 with a 5.88 ERA this season, striking out 49 and walking 21 in 56⅔ innings over 11 starts.
Gonzales has struggled in July, going 0-1 with a 10.00 ERA in two starts this month. His last outing was a no-decision, as he went 5⅔ innings against the Angels on July 9, allowing three runs on seven hits, including two home runs, while striking out three and walking one in a 7-3 Seattle win.
Game Winner
Outfielder Charlie Blackmon came through in the clutch on Sunday, hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Rockies a come-from-behind win over the Dodgers. Trevor Story had hit a sacrifice fly in front of Blackmon to tie the game up.
“I felt today my bat was pretty competitive,” Blackmon said after Sunday’s win. “I was swinging pretty good. I just felt like I had some good pitches to hit. I thought I was going to hit them hard.”
Blackmon was 2-for-5 with two RBIs in the game, which snapped a two-game losing streak for Colorado. Blackmon is batting .268 this season, hitting 13 doubles, two triples and five home runs while driving in 43 runs and scoring 37 times.
Story has been struggling, with just one hit in his last five games. He’s batting .242 with 18 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, 43 RBIs and 42 runs scored.
The Rockies will have right-hander German Marquez on the mound for the series opener. The 26-year-old is 8-6 with a 3.36 ERA, striking out 114 and walking 42 over 112⅓ innings.
Marquez has pitched better at Coors Field this season, going 6-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 12 starts. He was outstanding in his last start, on the road against San Diego on July 10, throwing seven shutout innings and allowing just three hits while striking out nine and walking one to pick up the win.
Series Outlook
These two teams split their previous two-game series in Seattle in late June, with Marquez picking up the victory for the Rockies. Colorado is 32-19 at home this season, while the Mariners have gone 21-24 in road games in 2021.
Neither team has named a starter for Wednesday’s series finale as of this writing.
Rockies Take Opener
Marquez has been much better at home this season, and he’s coming off a dominant performance in his last outing. He should be able to keep the Mariners’ bats in check in this one and lead the Rockies to a win at home.
When making your MLB betting picks, take Colorado to pick up the win at home.
