Mariners and Orioles Meet Thursday with Series on the Line

The Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles are set to face off Thursday at 4:10 p.m. EDT in Seattle with the winner claiming the three-game series. The contest marks the seventh meeting between the teams this season, with the overall series tied 3-3. The Mariners enter the game with a 38-37 record and first-place standing in the AL West, while the Orioles are 35-40 and fourth in the AL East. After splitting the first two games of the series, the teams will battle in a decisive third matchup.

Seattle will start pitcher Bryan Woo (5-5, 4.28 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 79 strikeouts) against Baltimore's Shane Baz (4-6, 4.06 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 67 strikeouts). The Mariners' pitching staff has a collective 3.68 ERA, ranking fifth among major league teams. Seattle has a strong home record of 20-17 this season. The Orioles, meanwhile, have struggled on the road with a 13-21 record but rank fifth in the AL with a .322 on-base percentage.

Both teams enter the game in similar form, having gone 4-6 over their last 10 games. The Mariners are hitting just .242 with a 5.01 ERA during this stretch and have been outscored by 10 runs, while the Orioles are batting .247 with a 4.15 ERA and have been outscored by four runs. Luke Raley leads the Mariners with 14 home runs and a .503 slugging percentage, though he is day-to-day with a back injury. Cole Young has been productive recently, going 13 for 45 with two home runs and three RBIs over the past 10 games. For Baltimore, Taylor Ward leads with a .256 batting average along with 17 doubles and three home runs, while Blaze Alexander has been hot with 14 hits in 30 at-bats.

Both teams are dealing with significant injury concerns. The Mariners have multiple players sidelined, including Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor on day-to-day status, as well as several players on extended injured list assignments. The Orioles are without numerous contributors, including pitcher Felix Bautista and shortstop Jordan Westburg, both on the 60-day injured list. Betting odds favor the Mariners at -135, while the Orioles are at +111. The over/under for total runs is set at 7½.