Lucky 7's for the Mariners

Well here we are folks, the Mariners began a 7 game home stretch and came off a sweep of the Houston Astros, along with riding a season high 6 game winning streak, so who better to take the mound and try and help the team get to 7 straight wins then Aaron Harang. Did I just say that? Man, why did it have to be Harang? Well, I guess he's not that bad, except in the top of the first inning he gave up a solo home run to Nick Swisher and the Cleveland Indians took the early 1-0 lead. After Harang got out of the first inning, Ubaldo Jimenez took care of the Mariners in their half of the first. Harang came back out and went 1-2-3 against the Tribe and Jimenez did the same to the M's. 

Harang though didn't have an easy third inning. After getting Drew Stubbs to ground out both Michael Bourn and Swisher singled and on Swisher's single Bourn (with his incredible speed) was able to easily mosey into third safely. Harang then pulled himself together and struck out Jason Kipnis and got former Mariner Asdrubal Cabrera to ground out, and so Harangatang escaped the top of the third without surrendering a run. Mike Zunino lead things off for the M's in bottom of the third by taking the first pitch that he saw from Jimenez down the left field line for a lead off double. The Mariners though couldn't get Zunino home and Jimenez pulled off his own Houdini. Harang got into his second jam, Carlos Santana lined a ball down the right field line and thanks to an idiotic Sonics fan, Santana was forced to stay at second. Harang got out of the jam by getting Jason Giambi to pop out to second and then got Lonnie Chisenhall to ground out to Nick Franklin.

Kendrys Morales lead off the bottom of the fourth by driving one off the glass of the Hit It Here Cafe to tie the game up at 1. Zunino lead off the bottom of the fifth with his first home run at Safeco Field to put the M's ahead 2-1. After that, Harang took over and pitched into the seventh inning without allowing another run or hit, as he retired the last nine batters he faced. Charlie Furbush then was brought into the top of the eighth inning, he hit Michael Bourn to begin the inning but came back and struck out Nick Swisher, picked off Bourn, and finally got Jason Kipnis to ground out to end the eighth inning for the Tribe. 

Now, if you remember back in May all Tom Wilhelmsen needed to do was hang onto the ball and he would have saved the game for the M's, but unfortunately he didn't and the M's lost 10-8 to the Tribe. This time out though, Tommy Boy allowed two runners one with two outs but managed to escape the jam and save his 22nd game of the year and secure the Mariners their seventh straight win. Tonight Erasmo Ramirez will take the mound after an impressive start in Everett, he'll try and go for his first win of the season and help the team get to eight wins in a row. The Mariners enter tonight's game only 5 games under .500, 11 games back of first in the AL West, and 9.5 games back of second place in the Wild Card.