The Seattle Mariners embark on a challenging 10-game road trip, starting with the opener of a three-game interleague set on Friday against the Chicago Cubs, who sit atop the National League Central.
The Mariners, who will also visit the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers before heading home to finish a stretch of 17 games in 17 days, are coming off a three-game series loss to the visiting Boston Red Sox.
In Friday’s matinee, right-hander George Kirby (1-3, 5.96 ERA) will face the Cubs for the first time, opposing left-hander Matthew Boyd (6-3, 2.79).
Chicago’s Kyle Tucker is 3-for-12 (.250) with an RBI and five strikeouts against Kirby and Justin Turner is 2-for-10 (.200) with seven strikeouts. After a pair of tough starts in May to begin his season, Kirby has allowed two runs in each of his last three starts.
Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh has 27 home runs in his first 71 games, the second-highest total ever for a primary catcher before the All-Star break. He needs one more to tie Hall of Famer Johnny Bench.
“It’s great,” Raleigh said. “But you know, just trying to keep the head down. The minute you look up and try to admire (it all), that’s when the game will come around and put you in your place.”
Raleigh also has eight steals, which broke Seattle manager Dan Wilson’s team record by a catcher in a season.
“What can you say about Cal?” Wilson said. “It’s been unbelievable and he’s been unbelievable.”
The Cubs lost 8-7 to the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday to split a rain-shortened two-game series.
Boyd is 2-2 with a 4.78 ERA in seven career games against the Mariners. He is 3-1 with a 2.80 ERA in his last six starts. He is coming off a solid six-inning outing last Saturday in which he allowed one run in a 2-1 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.
His last appearance against Seattle came on May 12, 2023, when Boyd was with the Detroit Tigers. In a start that lasted just 1 1 1/3 innings, he allowed six runs (five earned) and five hits with four walks and a strikeout. He took the loss.
Chicago got homers from Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ in the loss to Milwaukee on Thursday.
Crow-Armstrong’s home run was his 20th and made him the first player in team history to have 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases before the All-Star break. He has 23 steals.
“It’s an honor,” the center fielder said. “Just an honor to be able to do that ”
Crow-Armstrong reached the mark in 73 games, tying him with Ken Williams of the 1922 St. Louis Browns for the fourth fastest in MLB history.
“Let’s keep it going — he’s having a great season,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Those are nice round numbers. Let’s make them crooked again.”
Eric Davis of the Cincinnati Reds reached the 20-20 mark in 46 games in 1987. It took Jose Canseco 68 games in 1998 with the Toronto Blue Jays and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres 71 games in 2021.
–Field Level Media
