Football
SportsTicker 19y

Devil Rays open three-game set against Meche, Mariners

Seattle (18-28) at Tampa Bay (18-30), 7:15 pm EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida -- A pair of teams heading in
opposite directions collide Friday when the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
host the Seattle Mariners in the opener of a three-game series.

The Devil Rays are coming off their first sweep of the season
and their first against the Oakland Athletics in nearly seven
years. Tampa Bay completed the three-game sweep Thursday with a
2-1 triumph. Hideo Nomo worked into the eighth inning and Carl
Crawford had two hits, including an RBIs single, in the victory.

Seattle lost all three games at Baltimore this week, including
Thursday's 5-2 setback. Ryan Franklin gave the Mariners seven
solid innings, but the offense managed only six hits in the
loss.

The Mariners totaled just five runs and 20 hits - including only
four for extra bases - in the three games against the Orioles.

To turn around its fortunes, Seattle hands the ball to Gil Meche
(4-2, 5.00 ERA), who has won his last two starts, including
Saturday's against San Diego when he allowed two runs in six
innings in a 5-3 triumph.

Meche has logged at least six innings in six of his last seven
outings, but the 26-year-old righthander owns an 0-2 mark with a
9.26 ERA in three career outings against Tampa Bay.

Devil Rays starter Mark Hendrickson (1-2, 4.47) allowed three
runs in six innings Saturday in a 7-6 loss at Florida. Despite
holding lefthanders to a .158 (6-for-38) average this season,
Hendrickson has won just once in seven starts.

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