The Seattle Mariners have won 13 straight games, two short of their franchise record, but they aren’t content to stop there.
The Mariners will try to finish the first half of the season in spectacular fashion when they visit the Texas Rangers in the finale of a four-game series on Sunday.
Mariners shortstop J.P Crawford, who had the go-ahead RBI single in the 10th inning of a 3-2 win on Saturday, said his teammates don’t mention the streak in the clubhouse.
They remain focused on the next victory.
“We don’t even bring it up, we just go out there and just win,” he said. “That’s our mentality. Everyone is on the same page right now. All that’s on our mind is win.”
Crawford admits that winning 13 straight games in the majors is not an easy feat. It’s been 21 years since Seattle has won that many in a row as they set the franchise mark of 15 from May 23-June 8, 2001.
“Someone else is a hero every day,” Crawford said. “Someone is stepping up each day, and it’s really fun to be a part of.”
The Rangers plan to send right-hander Glenn Otto (4-5, 5.50 ERA) to the mound in hopes of salvaging a victory in the series.
Otto is 0-3 in four starts since he had a three-start winning streak in late spring. That winning streak included his only career start against the Mariners, a 3-2 victory on June 4 in which he allowed two runs on two hits five walks in five innings.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward would be happy just to get some distance out of Otto after Texas used four relievers in the extra-inning loss on Saturday.
Woodward needed length from Otto in his last outing, but he only lasted 4 1/3 innings against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday. The Rangers spotted him a 3-1 lead through four innings, but Texas eventually lost 14-7 in 12 innings.
“These guys (have to) step up and do the job for us,” Woodward said after Otto’s latest outing. “We’ve got to get more production out of those spots in the rotation to take a little heat off of our bullpen because they’re pitching their butts off down there. They’re giving it everything they can.”
The Mariners plan to send right-hander Chris Flexen to the mound for the series finale.
Flexen (6-8, 3.84) will be trying to win his fifth straight start, a career high.
He allowed one run and six hits in six innings of a 6-4 win against the Washington Nationals in his most recent outing on Wednesday.
Flexen hasn’t faced the Rangers this season, but he’s 4-0 in five starts against Texas in his career with a 2.53 ERA.
The Mariners acquired Carlos Santana in a trade with the Kansas City Royals on June 28, and the veteran slugger clubbed a two-run homer in the win on Saturday.
Crawford said the additions of Santana, outfielders Julio Rodriguez and Jesse Winker, and third baseman Euginio Suarez have benefited the Mariners on and off the field this season.
“I didn’t think after last year that a team could get any closer, but this team has doubled that,” Crawford said. “It’s crazy, you know, we’ve brought over some guys and they jelled quickly, and they brought our team closer, believe it or not.”
–Field Level Media