#41: Mariners Eye 5th Series Win Thursday

GAME: Mariners (19-21, 3rd, AL West, -7-0 GB) at Yankees (25-15, 1st, AL East, +2.0 GA). GAME #: 41. SERIES: 3rd of 3 games. MEETING: 3rd (series tied 1-1). WHEN: Thursday, 4:05 p.m., Yankee Stadium. STREAKS: Mariners W 1; Yankees L 1. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

Aaron Harang has pitched in the major leagues for 12 years with five teams and, remarkably, has never set foot in Yankee Stadium. That will change Thursday when Harang squares off against LHP Andy Pettitte to close a three-game series in the Bronx.

The Mariners, who demolished the Yankees 12-2 Wednesday on the strength of two home runs and six RBIs from Raul Ibanez and a three-run homer by Kyle Seager, have a chance to win their fifth series since late April. The Mariners didn’t win one before April 27.

At 19-21, the Mariners are just a percentage point behind the Oakland Athletics (20-22) for second place in the AL West.

Harang opposes the 40-year-old Pettitte, who, surprisingly, has a losing career record (11-12) against the Mariners.

THURSDAY’S PROBABLES

MARINERS: RHP Aaron Harang (1-4, 7.30 ERA, 1.41 WHIP)

The 35-year-old Harang, a San Diego native in his 12th major league season and first with Seattle, will make his sixth start and first against the Yankees. After giving up 16 earned runs in his first three starts, Harang settled down in his last two, allowing two ERs in each. But the Mariners didn’t provide him with run support in his last outing, making him a 4-1 loser to Pittsburgh. Harang’s only win came May 1 vs. Baltimore, an 8-3 victory.

• LAST START: May 7 at Pittsburgh, lost 4-1; 2 earned runs on 5 hits in 6.0 innings; 6 strikeouts, 0 walks, 0 home runs, 97 pitches, 71 for strikes.

• LAST VS. YANKEES: Never faced.

• CAREER VS. YANKEES: No record.

• AT YANKEE STADIUM: No record.

• LOVES TO FACE: Ichiro (1-for-16, .063), Vernon Wells (1-for-6, .167), Travis Hafner (3-for-14, .214).

• HATES TO FACE: Ben Francisco (2-for-4, .500), Lyle Overbay (11-for-24, .458), Chris Nelson (3-for-7, .429).

• CURRENT YANKEES VS. HARANG: 26-for-82, .317 BA, 10 strikeouts, 5 walks, 2 home runs, .364 on-base percentage.

YANKEES: LHP Andy Pettitte (4-2, 3.83 ERA, 1.27 WHIP)

The 40-year-old Pettitte, in his 18th major league season and 15th with the Yankees, will make his eighth start and first against the Mariners. Pettitte opened with three consecutive wins, suffered consecutive losses, took a no-decision, and then came back in his last start to defeat Kansas City 3-2. He has pitched into the seventh inning four times and had his best outing April 4 when he beat Boston 4-2 while allowing just one earned run.

• LAST START: May 11 at Kansas City, won 3-2; 2 earned runs on 5 hits over 7.0 innings; 7 strikeouts, 1 walk, 1 home run, 100 pitches, 68 for strikes.

• LAST VS. MARINERS: May 13, 2012, lost 6-2; 4 earned runs on 7 hits in 6.1 innings; 2 strikeouts, 3 walks, 2 home runs, 94 pitches, 60 for strikes.

• CAREER VS. MARINERS: 11-12, 4.39 ERA in 24 starts covering 160.0 innings; 121 strikeouts, 74 walks, 17 home runs, 1.40 WHIP.

• AT YANKEE STADIUM: 18-9, 3.95 ERA in 38 starts covering 230.1 innings; 173 strikeouts, 70 walks, 30 home runs, 1.35 WHIP.

• LOVES TO FACE: Robert Andino (0-for-3, .000), Brendan Ryan (0-for-2, .000), Michael Saunders (2-for-8, .250).

• HATES TO FACE: Justin Smoak (2-for-3, .667), Endy Chavez (3-for-5, .600), Jason Bay (14-for-30, .400).

• CURRENT MARINERS VS. PETTITTE: 41-for-123, .333 BA, 32 strikeouts, 11 walks, 5 home runs, .393 on-base percentage.

MARINERS STATS / NOTES

• CURRENT ROAD TRIP: Three at New York (Tuesday-Thursday), four at Cleveland (Friday-Monday), two at L.A. Angels (May 21-22). The Mariners return to Safeco Field May 24 to begin a three-game series with the Texas Rangers.
• Raul Ibanez has six home runs, his first three coming at Safeco Field, his last three coming the past two days at Yankee Stadium.
• The 12 runs scored by the Mariners Wednesday were the most by a Seattle team at Yankee Stadium since a 15-11 win May 4, 2007.
• Felix Hernandez apparently suffered no ill effects from a sore back Tuesday and is on track to make his next start.
• Franklin Gutierrez will probably begin a rehab assignment with AAA Tacoma  Thursday or Friday.
• Felix Hernandez (1.53) and Hisashi Iwakuma (1.84) rank second and eighth, respectively, in major league ERA. Iwakuma leads the American League in WHIP (0.76).
• In the Mariners’ 19 victories, they are batting .302 (46-for-152) with runners in scoring position. In 21 losses, the Mariners are batting .121 (17-for-140) with RISP. The Mariners have no hits with RISP 10 times in 40 games.

UPCOMING PROBABLES