What's Up With The Mariners?

• The Mariners are clinging to a record just two wins under the .500 mark after starting the season 13-2

• ZiPS projections have Mariners with second worst-rotation moving forward among contention-viable teams

• Seattle has the 8th worst bullpen

After a brilliant start to the season where the Seattle Mariners looked like the team to beat in Major League Baseball (they started 13-2), their season is suddenly imploding.

The Cleveland Indians look to make it two straight Saturday with a victory over the Mariners.  They swept Seattle in mid-April.

Now at 18-16, Seattle has lost eight of their last ten games overall.

ESPN.com notes that the Mariners are in desperate need of an upgrade if they want to get back to their winning ways.

The ZiPS projections have the Mariners as having the second-worst rotation going forward among contention-viable teams, ahead of only the A's. It might be hard at this point to get the Giants to face reality and start shopping their veteran starting pitchers, but the M's should at least give them a reason to be interested. Don't wait for the deadline.

Seattle comes into Saturday's game against Cleveland with the 8th worst bullpen.

Saturday's Starters

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Mike Leake (2-3, 4.98 ERA) vs. Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (2-3, 5.86)

Leake is winless in his last four trips to the mound after allowing nine runs (five earned) on 10 hits over five innings in a 15-1 loss to Texas last Saturday. The 31-year-old Arizona State product started the season by giving up exactly two runs in three of four starts, including a loss to Cleveland on April 16 when he completed six innings. Leonys Martin is 6-for-11 versus Leake, who went 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA in two starts against Cleveland last season.

Carrasco permitted four runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts in Sunday's 4-1 loss at Houston after registering 11 scoreless frames in his previous two outings. The 32-year-old Venezuelan boasts 41 strikeouts and just seven walks across 27 2/3 innings overall but has allowed opponents to bat .295. Mitch Haniger is 2-for-5 with a homer against Carrasco, who is 5-3 with a 3.51 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts) versus Seattle.

Hot Stats

The Mariners are 12-2 in Leakes last 14 starts following a team loss in their previous game.

- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com