Seattle @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( Jun 19, 2012 ) Seattle 12, Arizona 9
The Arizona Diamondbacks will try not to let another win slip away Wednesday afternoon when they host the Seattle Mariners in the rubber game of their three-game interleague series. Arizona overcame a three-run deficit Tuesday to take a 9-8 lead, but Seattle scored once in the eighth inning and three times in the 10th to notch its third win in four contests following a six-game losing streak.
Aaron Hill doubled, homered and drove in two runs a day after hitting for the cycle, Paul Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs and Gerardo Parra also went deep as the Diamondbacks appeared to be on their way to their seventh straight home victory. But the Mariners would not be denied as they received a game-tying sacrifice fly by Ichiro Suzuki in the eighth and a tiebreaking two-run single by pinch hitter Casper Wells in the 10th. Charlie Furbush and Tom Wilhelmsen kept the Diamondbacks at bay, combining for seven strikeouts over three perfect innings.
TV: 3:40 p.m. ET, Root Sports (Seattle), FSN (Arizona)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Jason Vargas (7-6, 3.95 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Trevor Cahill (5-5, 3.08 ERA)
Vargas has lost each of his last two starts, including an outing against San Francisco in which he allowed four runs and 10 hits over eight innings. The 29-year-old has yielded three runs or more in each of his last seven starts while also serving up at least one home run. Vargas is 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA in three career outings against the Diamondbacks.
Cahill enters having won each of his last three starts, allowing a total of two runs over 23 1/3 innings. Prior to the winning streak, the 24-year-old had gone 0-3 while surrendering three or more runs in four of five outings. Cahill, who is 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA in five home starts this year, owns a 4-4 record and 2.94 ERA in 11 career starts against Seattle.
WALK-OFFS
1. Suzuki's first-inning single Tuesday was his 2,500th career hit. He finished 4-for-5 with two RBIs.
2. Mariners rookie LHP Lucas Luetge allowed an earned run for the first time in 26 major-league games.
3. The Diamondbacks have scored a total of 16 runs in the first two games of the series after being shut out in each of their previous two contests.