Series Preview: Mariners Take A Look at Ichiro In Pinstripes

Seattle gets its first look of a familiar face in pinstripes. 

The New York Yankees are just getting over their recent losing skid with a win against the Orioles that kept them from getting swept for the second time in their last three series. Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners are rolling into the Bronx riding a seven game winning streak. At the same time, the Yankees remain one of the best teams in baseball, while the Mariners stay towards the bottom of the standings.

Friday (7:05PM / YES Network) If there is a day for the Yankees to figure out their offense, it could be against Kevin Milwood in the first game of the series. The veteran was tough to figure out the last two times out on the hill for the Yankees, but the third time could be the charm. His ERA stands just below 5.00 for his last three starts.

CC Sabathia's ERA is similar to Milwood's in his last three starts as it stands at 4.26. Yet, Sabathia's dominance against the Mariners dates back to 2009. He has won seven straight contests against them, so if the Yankee bats could scramble across just a few runs tonight it could get the job done.

Saturday (1:05 PM / YES Network) Seattle and New York have made two trade sin the past year and neither one of them included the Mariners' starter for Tuesday. Felix Hernandez takes the hill against the Yankees and 2012 has not been too kind for him against pinstripes. His ERA is at 5.40 and he has two losses against the current Yankee lineup. Last time at Yankee Stadium, he gave up eleven hits which resulted in four runs.

Hiroki Kuroda will oppose him and his last start was brilliant as he held Boston to only two runs, but the team unfortunately could not help him out with run support and lost in extra innings. He has two wins against Seattle on the year.

Mark Teixeira missed some time the last few days after he was hit by a pitch. He's back in the lineup and playing first base, which shows that a hit by pitch is nothing a little cortisone can't fix. Nick Swisher will be in right-field as the Yankees give Ichiro his second taste of action from left field at Yankee Stadium.

Sunday (1:05 / YES Network) The Mariners have been rolling since dealing Ichiro. One of the main reasons is the pitching by Hisashi Iwakuma, who struck out 13 Blue Jays in eight innings. Freddy Garcia was very sweaty in his last start against the Orioles and they made him work through six innings. In his last start against the Mariners, he pitched into the eighth inning.

Here is the lineup for the Yankees' first game of the series:
1. Granderson - CF
2. Jeter - SS
3. Cano - 2B
4. Teixeira - 1B
5. Ibanez - DH
6. Swisher - RF
7. Chavez - 3B
8. Suzuki - RF
9. Martin - C


Manager Joe Girardi is on board with Curtis Granderson's claim that he is not a power hitter as he leads off. This is the fourth time in which this is happening in the 2012 campaign. With Alex Rodriguez sidelined for a while, this could be the first of a few mix and matches by Girardi in regards to the lineup. 

Posted in: Chris Chavez, Ichiro, Lineup, MLB, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Series Preview