GAME:
New York Mets (47-53) at Seattle Mariners (53-47)
DATE/TIME:
Wednesday, July 23 - 3:40 PM EST
WHERE:
Safeco Field, Seattle, Washington
LINE:
115, -125
TOTAL:
7.5
Bartolo Colon looks to continue his mastery of the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field when the New York Mets close a three-game set on Wednesday afternoon. The 41-year-old right-hander is 12-1 with a 2.10 ERA in 14 career starts at the ballpark that opened in 1999 while repeatedly dominating Seattle hitters. New York halted a three-game losing streak with Tuesday’s victory after Seattle recorded a 5-2 win in Monday’s series opener.
The Mariners haven’t been part of the postseason field since 2001 but currently own the American League’s second wild-card spot 100 games in. Seattle had just five hits in Tuesday’s 3-1 loss and placed only four runners in scoring position, failing to get a hit in any of those instances. New York third baseman David Wright was hitless in three at-bats on Tuesday and is just 5-for-27 over his last seven games following a 4-for-4 outing July 11 against the Miami Marlins.
TV: 3:40 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), ROOT (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Bartolo Colon (8-8, 4.12 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Taijuan Walker (1-1, 3.60)
Colon has enjoyed a lot of success against Seattle while serving stints with six different American League clubs and is 19-12 with a 3.88 ERA in 36 career starts against the Mariners. He is currently in a funk and has given up 17 earned runs in 26 innings while going 0-3 over his last four starts. Colon has walked two or fewer batters in each of his last eight outings.
Walker is being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to make his third start of the season. He defeated the Houston Astros on June 30 and lost to the Chicago White Sox on July 6 before being optioned back to the minors. The 21-year-old Walker has been mentioned as a possible target of the Tampa Bay Rays should that franchise decide to deal ace David Price.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York RF Curtis Granderson (illness) could return for the finale, while OF Chris Young (calf) is questionable.
2. Seattle 2B Robinson Cano is 6-for-15 with two doubles and a homer against Colon.
3. Mets 1B Lucas Duda went 2-for-4 with a homer Tuesday and is 8-for-23 during a six-game hitting streak.
PREDICTION: Mets 6, Mariners 3