#130: Iwakuma Looking To Build On Own Streak

GAME: Mariners (62-67, 4th, AL West, – 14.5 GB) at Twins (52-76, 5th, AL Central, – 19.5 GB). GAME #: 130. SERIES: 2nd of 4 games. MEETING: 8th (Mariners lead 6-1). WHEN: Tuesday, 5:10 p.m., Target Field, Minneapolis. PROBABLE PITCHERS: RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (Seattle, 4-3, 3.64) vs. LHP Scott Diamond (Minnesota, 10-5, 3.04). STREAKS: Mariners W 1; Twins L 1. TV: ROOT Sports, MLB TV. RADIO: ESPN 710-AM (Seattle), Mariners Radio Network.

Hisashi Iwakuma, the 31-year-old Japanese import, has the unenviable assignment of this summer of following Felix Hernandez to the mound. Fortunately for Iwakuma, he has managed to keep from paling into inconsequence. While Hernandez has won nine consecutive decisions, including a 1-0 gem Monday against Minnesota, Iwakuma is looking to build Tuesday off consecutive starts in which he has allowed just one earned run.

“He’s a guy that has worked his way into the rotation and done a nice job,” Mariners manager Eric Wedge said of Iwakuma. “I’m curious to see how he finishes the season out, pitching in the rotation and getting regular work as a starter. We’ve seen him in multiple roles this year, which is helpful to us as we evaluate him and look at him as the year heads down the stretch. But as a starter, it’ll be interesting to see how he finishes the year off.”

It will also be interesting to see if Scott Diamond makes his scheduled start for Minnesota. MLB suspended the left hander for six games for throwing at Josh Hamilton of Texas last Thursday. Diamond denied he intentionally threw at Hamilton and appealed the decision. MLB has yet make a decision on the matter and Diamond has spent the time since his last start preparing as if he’s going to pitch.

If Diamond does, he will be looking for his first win since Aug. 6 after posting three consecutive no-decisions.

MARINERS: RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (4-3, 3.64 ERA, 1.33 WHIP)

The 31-year-old Iwakuma, in his first major league season, makes his 10th start and second against the Indians. Iwakuma, who started the season as a reliever and then stretched out to become a starter during a minor league assignment, defeated Minnesota 5-3 Aug. 17 at Safeco Field and is coming off a no-decision in Seattle’s 3-1 win over the Cleveland Indians Aug. 22.

A native of Tokyo, the 6-3, 190-pound Iwakuma signed with the Mariners as a free agent Jan. 5, following an 11-year career in his native country. Iwakuma pitched for Osaka Kintetsu from 2001-04, and for Rakuten from 2005-11. His record was 107-69, 3.25 ERA.

In 2004, Iwakuma started out 12-0 en route to a 15-2 record and 3.45 ERA. He had his only 20-win season in 2008 when he went 21-4, 1.87 ERA in 28 starts. Iwakuma won Japan’s equivalent of the Cy Young award.

In 2008, Iwakuma was named the Pacific League Most Valuable Player and also named an NPB All-Star.

Iwakuma played in the 2004 Olympics and in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, where he won a gold medal.

Iwakuma has pitched at least 5.0 innings in all nine of his starts and has worked at least 7.0 in two of his past three. He also has two saves, May 30 at Texas and June 2 at Chicago.

Iwakuma continues to allow plenty of baserunners, but is proving to be a master at getting out of jams. The Mariners have won four of the right-hander’s past five starts.

• LAST START: Aug. 22 at Safeco Field, took a no-decision in Seattle’s 3-1 win over the Cleveland Indians; one earned run on six hits in 5.2 innings; five strikeouts to three walks; no home runs.
• LAST VS. TWINS: Aug. 22 at Safeco Field, won 5-3; one run (unearned) on four hits in 7.0 innings; six strikeouts to one walk; no home run; 97 pitches, 67 for strikes.
• CAREER VS. TWINS: 1-0, 0.00 ERA in one start; 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings; 0.71 WHIP.
• AT TARGET CENTER: Never pitched.
• LOVES/HATES TO FACE: One game. Minnesota batters are 4-for-25, .160 BA with no homers and six strikeouts.

Iwakuma / 2012

• June 16 (W, 1-0): 2.0 innings of relief in a 7-5 win over the San Francisco Giants; did not allow a hit or a run in the first win of his major league career.
• June 27 (L, 1-1): First loss in first career start; one earned run on one hit in a 2-1 setback to Oakland; no strikeouts or walks.
• July 2 (ND, 1-1): Three earned runs on three hits in 5.0 innings in a 6-3 win over Baltimore; struck out four, walked three.
• July 15 (L, 1-2): Four earned runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings; no strikeouts, three walks, one home run.
• July 20 (ND, 1-2): At Tampa Bay, lost  4-3; two earned runs on six hits over 6.0 innings. fanned a career-high seven and walked three; one home run.
• July 25 (ND, 1-2): At Safeco Field, no-decision in Seattle’s 5-2 loss to the New York Yankees; one earned run on six hits over 5.0 innings; struck out three, walked one, one home run.
• July 30 (W, 2-2): Vs. Toronto at Safeco Field, won 4-1; one earned run on four hits in 8.0 innings; walked three and struck out 13, establishing a record for a Mariners rookie.
• Aug. 5 (L, 2-3): At New York, lost 6-2; three earned runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings; four strikeouts, two walks, one home run; 101 pitches, 64 for strikes.
• Aug. 11 (W, 3-3): At Anaheim, won 7-4; three earned runs on six hits over 7.0 innings; four strikeouts to one walk; one home run; 86 pitches, 58 for strikes.
• Aug. 17 (W, 4-3): At Safeco Field, defeated Minnesota 5-3; no earned runs in 7.0 innings; four hits, six strikeouts, one walk, 97 pitches, 65 for strikes.
• Aug. 22 (ND, 4-3): At Safeco Field, took a no-decision in Seattle’s 3-1 win over the Cleveland Indians; one earned run on six hits in 5.2 innings; five strikeouts to three walks; no home runs.

TWINS: LHP Scott Diamond (10-5, 3.04 ERA, 1.21 WHIP)

The 26-year-old Diamond, in his second major league season, b0th with the Twins, will make his 21st start and second against the Mariners. Diamond has three consecutive no-decisions and is coming off a 2.1-inning outing at Texas in which he got tossed in the third inning for throwing behind Josh Hamilton’s head.

A native of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, the 6-3, 220-pound Diamond attended Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute in Guelph and the State University of New York at Binghamton, NY. The Atlanta Braves signed Diamond as an amateur free agent in 2007.

Diamond pitched in the Braves minor league system until Dec. 9, 2010, when he was selected by the the Twins in the Rule V draft. Diamond made his major league debut July 18, 2011 in Minnesota’s 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians. Diamond was the losing pitcher after allowing three earned runs on four hits in 6.1 innings. He allowed one home run.

Diamond went 1-5, 5.08 in 2011, working 39.0 innings covering seven starts. He struck out 19 but walked 17 in that span.

Diamond has a career record of 11-10, 3.51.

• 2012: Compiled a 4-1, 2.60 record at Rochester of the International League and joined the Twins rotation May 8 when he recorded a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Diamond has worked into the seventh inning in seven starts and allowed three or fewer earned runs 14 times. He had his best game July 27 when he threw an 11-0, complete-game shutout over the Cleveland Indians, scattering three hits. Ejection at Texas Aug. 23 snapped a stretch o 20 starts pitching at least five innings.
• LAST START: Aug. 23 at Texas, took a no-decision in Minnesota’s 10-6 loss; worked 2.1 innings before receiving first career ejection; two earned runs on three hits; one strikeout, two walks.
• LAST VS. MARINERS: Aug. 18 at Safeco Field, took a no-decision in a 3-2 loss; two earned runs on nine hits in 6.2 innings; struck out two, walked one; one home run.
• CAREER VS. MARINERS: 0-0, 2.70 ERA in on start covering 6.2 innings; 1.35 WHIP.
• AT TARGET FIELD: 6-5, 2.99 ERA in 13 starts covering 87.1 innings; 50 strikeouts to 14 walks; 1.17 WHIP; eight home runs.
• LOVES/HATES TO FACE: Mariners have had 30 at-bats against Diamond. Dustin Ackley is 3-for-4, Brendan Ryan and Justin Smoak 2-for-3. Overall, 10-for-30, .333 against Diamond with one home run and three strikeouts.

AL WEST STANDINGS

MARINERS / STATS NOTES

• CURRENT ROAD TRIP: Three at Chicago White Sox, four at Minnesota Twins Monday-Thursday.
• MARINERS VS. TWINS: Mariners 209-191-1 all-time vs. the Twins, including 5-5 at Target Field. Mariners took two out of three games from the Twins May 4-6 at Safeco Field and swept a three game series at Safeco Aug. 17-19. Mariners last swept a four-game series in Minneapolis May 29-June 1, 2003 (Metrodome). Twins last swept Seattle in Minneapolis in four games April 25-28, 1991.
• LOG: Felix Hernandez Monday won his fourth 1-0 decision of the 2012 season and extended his winning streak to nine consecutive decisions. He’s the only pitcher in franchise history with two nine-game winning streaks, his other spanning the 2009-10 seasons. Randy Johnson had three eight-game winning streaks and holds the record for consecutive wins at 16 . . . Hernandez is just the third pitcher since 1969 to win four 1-0 games in a single season, joining Ferguson Jenkins (1974) and Bert Blyleven (1976). Hernandez also defeated Boston 1-0 June 28, New York 1-0 Aug. 4 and Tampa Bay 1-0 Aug. 15. Hernandez is 9-0 with a 1.40 ERA over his last 14 starts . . . The Mariners have hit a home run in 10 consecutive games (Eric Thames Monday), the longest streak since they hit homers in 11 consecutive games from Aug. 16-27, 2009. The Mariners have banged 24 homers in their past 17 contests . . . The Mariners finally took OF Franklin Gutierrez off the disabled list and inserted him into the starting lineup Monday. Gutierrez responded with a hit in his first at-bat and went 1-for-2 with a walk, a hit by pitch and two stolen bases. It was Gutierrez’s first game for the Mariners since June 28.
• SEASON SUMMARY: Series Record: Won 18, Split 2, Lost 22 . . . Sweeps: 6; Swept: 5 . . . Longest Win Streak: 8 (Aug. 15-21); Longest Losing Streak: 7 (April 28-May 4) . . . Vs. AL East: 14-23; vs. AL Central: 22-15; vs. AL West: 17-19; vs. LAA: 4-6; vs. Oak: 7-6; vs. Tex: 6-7; vs. NL West: 8-10; vs. Interleague: 8-10 . . . Biggest Lead: 1.0, April 7; Farthest Behind: 17.5, July 15 . . . Most Runs Scored: 21, May 30 at Texas (21-8); Most Runs Allowed: 11, April 9 at Texas . . . Walk-Off Wins: 6, May 7, first since Sept. 14, 2011 vs. New York, and first via a sacrifice fly (John Jaso) since Sept. 14, 2007 vs. Tampa Bay (Jose Guillen); June 17 vs. San Francisco (Justin Smoak ninth-inning single); June 28 vs. Boston (Jaso ph ninth-inning single); June 30 vs. Boston (Chone Figgins sacrifice fly 11th inning); Aug. 14, vs. Tampa, Eric Thames ninth-inning single scored Figgins; Aug. 18 vs. Minnesota, John Jaso sacrifice fly in ninth inning . . . Walk-Off Losses: 9, April 30 at Tampa Bay, Elliott Johnson, RBI single in 12th off Brandon League; May 17, at Cleveland, Carlos Santana bases-loaded single off League in 11th; July 6, at Oakland, Chris Carter 3-run walk-off homer off Steve Delabar; July 7, at Oakland, Josh Reddick run-scoring double off Oliver Perez in 13th; July 18, at Kansas City, Billy Butler, home run off Josh Kinney in bottom 9th; July 20, at Tampa Bay, Ben Zobrist double off Tom Wilhelmsen in bottom 14th; Aug. 7, Adam Jones 14th-inning single off Shawn Kelley in bottom 14th; Aug. 10, Josh Kinney wild pitched in the winning run (Bourjos) with the bases loaded in the ninth inning at Anaheim; Aug. 24, Paul Konerko double in ninth off Wilhelmsen . . . Times Opponent Shut out: 9; Times Shut out by Opponent: 11; Comeback Wins: 16; Largest Comeback: 3; Blown Leads: 32; Largest Comeback: 3.
• BATTING: Mariners rank 14th (AL) in runs (507), 12th in hits (1013), 13th in doubles (188), seventh in triples (22) and 11th in home runs (115) . . . Rank 13th in batting average (.233), 14th in on-base percentage (.295), 14th in slugging (.366) and 14th in OPS (.661) . . . Batting 233-for-943 (.247) with runners in scoring position after going 1-for-3 Monday . . . Batting Average: John Jaso, .283; Hits: Kyle Seager, 114; Runs: Dustin Ackley, 72; Home Runs: Kyle Seager, 15; RBIs: Kyle Seager, 73 . . Batted around seven times: April 7 at Oakland (4th inning), April 9 at Texas (1st), April 17 vs. Cleveland (4th), May 29 at Texas (8th), May 30 at Texas (2nd and 3rd), Aug. 24 at Chicago (9th).
• BATTING EXTRA: Longest Hitting Streak: Dustin Ackley, 13 games, May 3-17 . . . Four-Hit Games: Ichiro, March 28 vs. Oakland; Justin Smoak, April 17 vs. Cleveland; Jesus Montero, May 1 at Tampa; Kyle Seager, May 30 at Texas; Michael Saunders, June 2, at Chicago; Ichiro, June 19 at Arizona; Franklin Gutierrez, June 22 at San Diego . . .  Grand Slams (2): Michael Saunders, April 27 at Toronto; Alex Liddi, May 23 vs. Texas . . . Back-To-Back Home Runs (2): Jesus Montero, Justin Smoak, 3rd inning, May 20, at Colorado; Miguel Olivo, Dustin Ackley, 8th inning, July 2, vs. Baltimore.
• PITCHING: Mariners third in ERA (3.71), second in hits allowed (1055), third in runs allowed (503), seventh in home runs allowed (134), third in walks (352) and sixth in strikeouts (934) . . . Games: Tom Wilhelmsen, 57; Starts: Jason Vargas, Felix Hernandez, 27; Wins: Vargas, Hernandez 13; ERA: Hernandez 2.43; Complete Games: Hernandez 5 . . . Shutouts: Hernandez 5; Saves: Wilhelmsen, 19.
• DEBUTS: Munenori Kawasaki (April 7), Lucas Luetge (April 7), Erasmo Ramirez (April 9), Hisashi Iwakuma (April 20), Stephen Pryor (June 2), Carter Capps (Aug. 3).
• DISABLED LIST: George Sherrill (60-day, April 13, strained flexor bundle).
• EX-MARINERS VS. CURRENT MARINERS: April 19, Jack Hannahan, Indians, 2-run single in ninth off Brandon League in Tribe’s 2-1 win; April 28, Brandon Morrow, Blue Jays, one earned run over 7.0 innings in 7-0 win; May 11, Raul Ibanez, Yankees, 3-run homer off Felix Hernandez in 6-2 win; May 12, Raul Ibanez, Yankees, solo homer off Hector Noesi in 6-2 win; May 15, David Ortiz, Red Sox, solo homer off Blake Beaven in 5-0 Red Sox win; May 16, Shin-Soo Choo (3), Asdrubal Cabrera (2) and Jose Lopez (1) combined for 6 hits in 9-3 Cleveland win; May 17, Casey Kotchman (2), Cabrera (2), Jose Lopez (1), Choo (1) had six of Cleveland’s 10 hits, plus 5 RBIs, in a 6-5 win; July 4, Chris Tillman recorded first win of the year in a 4-2 Baltimore win by allowing two runs over 8.1 innings; July 13, Adrian Beltre two-run HR off Kevin Millwood in a 3-2 Texas win at Safeco Field; July 15, Beltre had three hits and two RBIs in a 4-0 Texas win over Seattle at Safeco Field; July 23, Four ex-Mariners played roles in beating the Mariners 4-1: Ichiro, traded 3 1/2 hours before the opening pitch, singled and stole his 16th base; Alex Rodriguez belted his 40th career home run at Safeco Field; Raul Ibanezhad an RBI single; Rafael Soriano notched the save; July 26, Soriano notched his 26th save in New York’s 5-2 win over the Mariners at Safeco Field; Aug. 5, Raul Ibanez clubbed a three-run homer, Freddy Garcia won his 150th career game and Ichiro extended his hitting streak to 12 games as the Yankees defeated the Mariners 6-2; Aug. 6, Chris Tillman took a three-hit shutout into the eighth and defeated the Mariners 3-1 at Camden Yards; Aug. 7, Adam Jones walk-off single against Shawn Kelley in the bottom of the 14th gave Baltimore an 8-7 win over Seattle.

2012 RECORDS / MILESTONES

• April 24: Catcher Miguel Olivo matched the franchise record  when he was charged with three passed balls in a 7-4 win at Detroit. Jerry Narron let three balls get by him Oct. 4, 1980, and Jeff Clement did likewise Aug. 10, 2008 (Clement was catching knuckleballer R.A. Dickey).
• April 27: Michael Saunders joined Donnie Scott (April 29, 1985) and Jimmy Presley (April 8, 1986) as the only Mariners to hit two home runs in a game in the ninth inning or later (solo homer in the 9th, grand slam in the 10th).
• April 30: When both Miguel Olivo and Jesus Montero homered, it marked the first time in franchise history that two players had homered in the same game as a catcher.
• May 2: Ichiro set a club record for most putouts by a right fielder in a nine-inning game, registering 10 in a 5-4 loss at Tampa.
• May 3: The Mariners featured a lineup at Tampa Bay that included seven left- handed hitters and two switch-hitters. It marked only the third time in club history that the Mariners used an all left-sided lineup. Others: Aug. 13, 1983 at California and Aug. 9, 1983 at Oakland.
• May 5: Combined one-hitter by Felix Hernandez and Steve Delabar vs. Minnesota was the 13th in Mariners history. Ten have been thrown by one pitcher, three combined. Most recent combined: Michael Pineda, Jeff Gray and Brandon League vs. Tampa, July 30, 2011. Most recent by one pitcher: Jarrod Washburn, July 6, 2009.
• May 9: When John Jaso batted leadoff against Detroit, it marked the first time since 1978 that a catcher had hit first for the Marines (Bob Stinson). Oddly, lefty Jaso led off against Tiger lefty Drew Smyly.
• May 8: Kevin Millwood’s 2-0 shutout marked his first in nearly nine years. He did not surrender his first hit until there were two outs in the sixth. Millwood’s gem marked only the fourth time in 1,440 games at Coors Field that an opposing pitcher held the Rockies to two hits or less while shutting them out. Millwood’s complete game also was the first by a Mariner in 2012.
• May 27: The pinch-hit grand slam allowed by Felix Hernandez to Alberto Callaspo marked just the sixth against the Mariners in 35 years, and the first since May 6, 1988 when Pat Sheridan of Detroit hit one off Mike Jackson.
• May 30: Mariners defeated Texas 21-8, just the third time in franchise history they have scored 20 or more runs in a game. The Mariners, with 20 hits, became the first team since 1880 to score 20 runs in a game in the same season it also go perfect-oed.
• June 8: Kevin Millwood and five relievers collaborated for the 10th combined no-hitter in major league history in a 1-0 win over the Dodgers at Safeco Field. Millwood (6.0), Charlie Furbush (0.2), Stephen Pryor (0.1), Lucas Luetge (0.1), Brandon League (0.2), and Tom Wilhelmsen (1.0) tied the MLB record for most pitchers used in a no-hitter (Houston vs. the Yankees June 11, 2003). It marked the third no-hitter in Mariners history.
• June 18: Aaron Hill of Arizona hit for the cycle in the Diamondbacks’ 7-1 win over the Mariners. Hill singled in the first (Hector Noesi), tripled in the third (Noesi), doubled in the fifth (Noesi) and homered in the seventh (Shawn Kelley).
• June 19: Ichiro reached 2,500 hits (first-inning single) in the fourth-fewest games in major league history during a 12-9 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. His 2,500th hit came in his 1,817th game. Al Simmons had 2,500 hits in 1,784 games, Ty Cobb in 1,790 and George Sisler in 1,808 . . . When Kyle Seager and Brendan Ryan both hit three-run homers in the fifth inning, it marked the first time since July 30, 2003 vs. Detroit that the Mariners had a pair of three-run bombs in the same inning. In that July 30, 2003 game, John Olerud hit a three-run homer and Randy Winn a grand slam in the first inning.
• July 1: One-time Mariner farmhand David Ortiz of the Red Sox hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning, giving Boston a 2-1 win over the Mariners.
• July 3: In Seattle’s 6-3 win over Baltimore at Safeco Field, The Mariners had three Japanese players in the starting lineup – Ichiro Suzuki,  Munenori Kawasaki and Hisashi Iwakuma – for the first time in major league history.
• July 23: Mariners traded Ichiro, face of the franchise for 11 1/2 years, to the Yankees for two prospects and cash considerations. Ichiro made his debut against Seattle with the Yankees at Safeco field and went 1-for-4 with a stolen base.
• Aug. 15: Felix Hernandez threw the 23rd perfect game in major league history, defeating Tampa Bay 1-0 at Safeco Field. Hernandez recorded 12 strikeouts in throwing the third no-hitter in franchise history . . . Mariners became the first team in MLB history to throw a perfect game and have one thrown against them.  It was also the first time two have been thrown in the same stadium in one season . . . Of the 22 previous perfect games, six were by 1-0 scores, the last by Roy Halladay May 29, 2010 at Florida. It was also the fourth 1-0 win for the Mariners this season . . .Hernandez became the second Latin American pitcher to do the deed (Nicaragua’s Dennis Martinez for Montreal July 28, 1991, against the Dodgers) . . . Hernandez became the second Latin American pitcher to do the deed (Nicaragua’s Dennis Martinez for Montreal July 28, 1991, against the Dodgers).

MARINERS WON-LOSS BREAKDOWN

MARINERS BATTING PROFILE

MARINERS PITCHING PROFILE

PROBABLE PITCHERS

MARINERS 2012 SCHEDULE/RESULTS

March (1-1)

April (10-12)

May (12-17)

June (11-16)

July (15-11)

August (13-8)