Rays @ Mariners

Who will WIN this matchup?

Tampa Bay Rays (67-50)

@ Seattle Mariners (48-69)

Starting Pitchers:

Morton (TB): 12-4; 2.77 ERA

Milone (SEA) 6-5; 5.38 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Tampa Bay Rays: 8-2

Seattle Mariners: 4-6

Current odds:

Tampa Bay Rays: (-185)

Seattle Mariners: (+175)

• The Tampa Bay Rays went more than four years without winning a game in Seattle, and they’ll try to make it two straight when they visit the Mariners on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game series. The Rays ended a nine-game losing streak in the Pacific Northwest with a 5-3 victory on Friday, prevailing in Seattle for the first time since June 7, 2015. Tampa Bay, which has won 10 of 13, maintained its one-half game lead over Oakland for the second American League wild-card spot. The Rays have gone 4-2 during a stretch of 21 straight games against teams with losing records after winning for only the third time in their last 15 contests against the Mariners.

• Tampa Bay ace Charlie Morton takes the mound Saturday after suffering two of his four losses this season over his last four starts as he opposes Wade LeBlanc, who will pitch behind an opener. Tampa Bay is 0-3 this season when facing an opener and 1-4 since the start of 2018 in such contests while sending out 90 openers during that span.

• Morton allowed two runs and seven hits with nine strikeouts in seven innings of a 2-0 loss to Toronto on Monday. The 35-year-old native of New Jersey has gone 1-2 with a 4.81 ERA over his last four starts. Kyle Seager is 2-for-16 against Morton, who is 4-3 with a 3.97 ERA in eight starts against the Mariners – including a 3-1 record and 4.13 ERA in four turns last season.

• LeBlanc followed an opener and yielded five runs in five innings of a 9-4 loss to San Diego on Tuesday. The 35-year-old from Louisiana is 4-1 with a 3.42 ERA in 10 relief appearances and 2-4 with an 8.35 mark in eight starts this season. Tommy Pham has gone 2-for-4 with a solo home run against LeBlanc, who lost his only career meeting with the Rays in 2010.

• Tampa Bay is 36-22 away from home – 34-14 everywhere except Yankee Stadium, which is the second-best road record in baseball to Minnesota (35-21).

• Seattle RHP Anthony Bass on Friday gave up three runs in the ninth inning to halt his streak of eight scoreless outings.

• The Rays have recorded only two hits in their last 33 at-bats with runners in scoring position after going 1-for-10 on Friday.