Mariners eye extending win streak against Indians (Apr 29, 2017)

CLEVELAND -- The Seattle Mariners are wounded but still winning.

Seattle has been beset by a flurry of early season injuries but has managed to piece together a three-game winning streak against the two top teams in the American League Central. During the streak, the Mariners have outscored their opponents 13-2.

On Friday night in the opener of a three-game series, the Mariners got great pitching to beat the Indians 3-1. Seattle will try to extend their winning streak to four games in the second game of the series Saturday afternoon at Progressive Field.

Both teams had key players out of the lineup on Friday, Michael Brantley and Nelson Cruz. Brantley had a scheduled day off. Cruz was scratched from the Mariners' lineup because of a tight left hamstring.

The Mariners will be anxious to get Cruz back in their lineup. At the start of play Friday, he was leading the American League with 19 RBIs. In his last 16 games, he is hitting .404 with five home runs and 17 RBIs.

It has been a luckless season so far for Seattle when it comes to injuries. The Mariners currently have seven players on the disabled list, including key performers such as Felix Hernandez and Mitch Haniger.

"A lot of teams go through adversity like this," manager Scott Servais said. "We'll get them back, but right now it's hurting us a little bit."

Brantley, who missed most of the 2016 season due to a shoulder injury, is still working his way back into being an everyday player. Manager Terry Francona gives Brantley occasional days off to keep his shoulder strong.

"I'm still cognizant of him growing into playing every day, and he feels good," Francona said. "I don't want him to not play, but I want to do the right thing for the long haul."

Brantley is doing his part. He had a 10-game hitting streak snapped Thursday, but is still hitting .300 for the season with four home runs and 15 RBIs.

Cleveland's Saturday starter will be right-hander Danny Salazar (0-1, 2.57 ERA), who leads the American League in strikeouts per nine innings. Salazar's 14.3 is two strikeouts more than the next closest pitcher, and considerably more than his mark last year of 9.49, which ranked fifth in the league.

Salazar was 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA in one start against the Mariners last year. In two career starts against Seattle, he is 0-1 with a 3.65 ERA.

With 577 career strikeouts, Salazar needs five to pass RHP Corey Kluber (581) for the second-most strikeouts by an Indians pitcher in his first 90 career appearances. Herb Score is first with 616.

The Mariners will counter with right-hander Yovani Gallardo (1-2, 4.84). The 31-year-old will make just his second career start against the Indians, his first in eight years.

Gallardo's only other start against Cleveland came on June 16, 2009, when he pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers. In that game, he was the winning pitcher in a 7-5 victory. He went five innings, allowing two runs and five hits with eight strikeouts and six walks.