(Sports Network) - Blake Beavan hopes for a little run support this afternoon
when the Seattle Mariners close out a three-game series with the Oakland
Athletics at Safeco Field.
Beavan was terrific against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, but walked away with
a loss, despite allowing just a run and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He also
struck out three and walked a batter in the 1-0 setback.
"Holding them to one run, holding them to three runs, is just a bonus," Beavan
said after his sterling season debut. "That lineup one through nine can do
damage. There's no break. There's no time to take off a pitch. You've got to
go after whoever is in the box one pitch at a time and that's what I tried to
do."
Beavan has faced the A's three times and is 1-2 with a 7.56 ERA against them.
Oakland will counter with righty Graham Godfrey, who lost his season debut on
Tuesday to Kansas City. Godfrey, though, pitched well, despite a steady rain,
surrendering just two runs and six hits in six innings.
"A little wet for baseball," Godfrey said, "but nothing I haven't seen
before."
Godfrey has never faced the Mariners.
On Saturday, it was a pair of offseason acquisitions that led the way for the
Mariners, as Hector Noesi tossed eight scoreless innings and Jesus Montero
extended his hitting streak to eight games with a home run and a double in
Seattle's 4-0 win.
The eight innings marked a career-high for Noesi (1-1), as did his six
strikeouts. He allowed just five hits in all.
"He was amazing today," Montero said of his pitcher. "His fastball was
unbelievable, in, outside, amazing. We threw a lot of fastballs and changeups,
too, so everything was nice."
Of course, Noesi and Montero were both acquired from New York in the deal that
sent All- Star right-hander Michael Pineda to the Bronx.
Justin Smoak added an RBI for the Mariners, who won for only the second time
in their last six tries. Seattle had dropped the opener of this set on Friday,
4-0.
Tommy Milone (1-1) gave up four runs on four hits over six innings in the loss
for the Athletics, who have dropped four of six to the Mariners this season.
"You feel like sometimes you can't give up any runs," said Milone. "It's
harder, but it happens. As a pitcher we want to go out there and throw up
zeros and I didn't do that today."
Today's game will be the last of 11 straight games within the division to
start the season for the M's. They face Cleveland on Tuesday.
On this the 65th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier
Major League Baseball is commemorating this special occasion by having all
players and on-field personnel once again wear the Hall of Famer's No. 42, as
well as other pregame festivities.
The Sports Network