GameCenter
Minnesota vs. Seattle
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Preview
Seattle at Minnesota
VENUE: Metrodome
GAME: Seattle Mariners (12-19) at Minnesota Twins (17-13).
TIME: Tuesday, 8:10 p.m. EDT.
Carlos Silva looks to become the second American League pitcher with six wins when the Minnesota Twins begin a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners.
Silva, acquired by Minnesota as part of the offseason deal that sent left-hander Eric Milton to Philadelphia, made all but one of his 130 appearances out of the bullpen for the Phillies the previous two seasons.
It hasn't taken him long to adapt to his new role, as he's won five consecutive starts, including Wednesday's 5-1 victory over Anaheim. The 25-year-old right-hander allowed one run and five hits over eight innings in improving to 5-0.
"I'm feeling very good, very comfortable," Silva said. "(Relieving or starting) don't matter. I just want to be in the big leagues. I'd like to make the ballclub as the water boy, too. It's fun to be in the big leagues."
Silva will be looking to help the Twins break out of a slump. Minnesota has dropped three of four since Silva beat the Mariners on Wednesday, and is 2-6 in its last eight games.
The Twins allowed 21 runs in losing two of three to the Oakland Athletics over the weekend. They finished 2-4 on their western trip.
"I think everyone's glad we're going home and this (trip) is over with," Minnesota outfielder Lew Ford said. "We can put it behind us and start new. We've got a day off (Monday) to get some guys rest. It's needed."
Seattle began its weekend with a 6-2 win over the New York Yankees for its fourth victory in five games, but then went on to lose the next two in the series, including a 7-6 defeat on Sunday when the Mariners blew a 6-0 lead.
The Mariners handed starter Jamie Moyer the lead with a six-run second, their biggest inning of the season, but they couldn't muster any more offense against New York's bullpen.
The Yankees hit three homers to tie the game by the seventh inning, and took the lead in the eighth.
"We had an opportunity to win another series, our third in a row, and didn't get it done," Seattle manager Bob Melvin said. "It looked good early. We needed to add on and we didn't do much of anything after that.
"When you score six runs like that, you have to pile on right there. Offensively, we didn't get anything going."
Seattle won five of six in Minneapolis last season, and is 37-14 at the Metrodome since the beginning of the 1995 season.
STANDINGS: Mariners - 4th place, 9? GB, AL West. Twins - 1st place (tied), AL Central.
MARINERS PROBABLE STARTER: Joel Pineiro (1-4, 7.60 ERA). The right-hander lost his third straight start Wednesday, allowing five runs - three earned - and nine hits over six innings in a 5-1 defeat to Silva and the Twins. Pineiro is 0-2 with an 8.15 ERA in three road starts this season.
TWINS PROBABLE STARTER: Silva (5-0, 3.43 ERA). Silva is looking to join Anaheim's Jarrod Washburn as the only other six-game winner in the AL.
OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Mariners - Ichiro Suzuki, .295 avg. and 6 SBs; Raul Ibanez and Bret Boone, 6 HRs; Boone, 18 RBIs; Ibanez, 21 runs. Twins - Ford, .344 avg.; Jacque Jones, 6 HRs, 19 runs and 7 SBs; Ford and Jones, 20 RBIs.
SEASON SERIES: Mariners, 2-1.
STREAKS AND NOTES: Mariners - Seattle has five saves in 10 opportunities. ... DH Edgar Martinez is batting .342 with 28 homers and 89 RBIs in 135 games against the Twins. ... RHP Pineiro is 1-1 with a 2.66 ERA in four appearances at the Metrodome. Twins - SS Cristian Guzman is 7-for-15 (.467) with three doubles against Pineiro. ... Minnesota plans to activate C Matthew LeCroy from the disabled list prior to Tuesday's game. He has been out since April 8 with a pulled rib cage muscle. ... INF-DH Jose Offerman is 6-for-14 (.429) with two homers against Mariners closer and ex-Twin Eddie Guardado.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Mariners - 5-10 on the road; Twins - 10-5 at home.
INJURIES: Mariners - 3B Willie Bloomquist (back), 15-day DL; OF Chris Snelling (wrist), 15-day DL; RHP Aaron Taylor (shoulder), 60-day DL. Twins - C Joe Mauer (knee), 15-day DL; RHP Grant Balfour (shoulder), 15-day DL; RHP Joe Mays (elbow), 60-day DL.
