Cleveland Guardians vs Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners (1-0) are 5-0 in their last five games against the Cleveland Guardians (0-1). The Mariners will look to extend their winning streak against the Guardians with another victory in Seattle on Friday night.

Seattle won the first game of this four-game series 3-0 on Thursday after Ty France hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning. With that win, the Mariners improved to 7-1 in their last eight home games against the Guardians. The game went UNDER the posted total of 6.5 runs, bringing the UNDER to 4-1 in the last five games between the Guardians and Mariners.

Starting Pitcher Report: Guardians

Hunter Gaddis started two games for the Guardians in his rookie season and got lit up both times, finishing the year with an ugly 18.41 ERA and 2.45 WHIP in 7.1 innings. Gaddis pitched far better in 121.1 innings in the minors last season with a 4.01 ERA and 158 strikeouts.

The 24-year-old also pitched well during spring training this month, compiling a 2.77 ERA with 17 strikeouts and only three walks across 13 innings. Gaddis is expected to fill Triston McKenzie’s spot in the rotation until McKenzie recovers from an injured shoulder.

Starting Pitcher Report: Mariners

Robbie Ray was unable to duplicate the success he had during his Cy Young Award-winning season in 2021, but he still finished last year with respectable numbers. Ray pitched 189 innings across 32 starts and went 12-12 with a 3.71 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP and 212 strikeouts in his first season with the Mariners.

The veteran left-hander was in top form during spring training with a dazzling 1.06 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 26 strikeouts in 17 innings. Seattle finished last season winless in the last five games that Ray started after going 11-3 in his previous 14 trips to the mound.

Guardians Player Prop: Josh Bell UNDER 0.5 hits (+145)

Betting against a hitter as good and consistent as Josh Bell is always a risky proposition. There are a few trends that could make this a worthwhile play, however. Bell has a history of getting off to slow starts, batting .254 in his career in March and April combined compared to a batting average of at least .269 in May, June and July.

In spring training, Bell batted only .234 and led the team with 14 strikeouts in 47 at-bats. Facing a strikeout specialist in Robbie Ray on Friday night, Bell may find himself struggling to collect a hit.

Mariners Player Prop: Robbie Ray OVER 5.5 strikeouts (-103)

While this line might seem low at first glance given Robbie Ray’s reputation as an elite strikeout pitcher, it makes sense when you consider that Cleveland had the fewest strikeouts in the majors last season. This is a very disciplined team at the plate, which will make recording six or more strikeouts a difficult task.

Despite this, Ray is worth a look in this spot given the low total. The 31-year-old struck out six or more batters in eight of his last 11 regular-season games in 2022. In his two starts against Cleveland, he struck out only three batters on the road but finished with seven strikeouts at home. If he can carry the momentum of his hot spring into this start, six strikeouts should be attainable.