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(SportsNetwork.com) – Chris Young goes after a fifth straight winning decision on Saturday when the Seattle Mariners continue a three-game series with the Washington Nationals at Safeco Field.
Young, though, was lucky not to get a loss his previous time out last Saturday in Boston, as he struggled with his command, walking five batters in just 3 2/3 innings. He also gave up three runs and seven hits, but did not factor in the decision of his team’s 7-3 win.
“Rhythm, timing, tempo. I just had no feel for it,” Young said. “I kept thinking I’d find it. I felt like I started to there in the fourth and then (Dustin) Pedroia had a great at-bat and rolled it through the hole for the base hit and then I went back to the stretch and just couldn’t find it again. It was just one of those days.
“But ultimately, we won the game,” said Young, who is 12-6 with a 3.17 ERA, “and that’s my goal every time out, to help this team win. The guys picked me up and the credit all goes to them.”
Young has faced the Nats nine times and is 3-2 against them with a 2.75 ERA.
Washington, meanwhile, will turn to righty Stephen Strasburg, who is coming off a miserable showing himself. Strasburg was also lucky not to get a loss on Sunday, as the San Francisco Giants lit him up for five runs and eight hits in four innings. The Nats took him off the hook, though, by scoring 14 runs, leaving Strasburg with a no-decision.
Strasburg had given up just one earned run in his previous two starts and is 10-10 on the year with a 3.59 ERA.
Washington rocked Felix Hernandez on Friday, as Wilson Ramos smacked a pair of solo homers and the Nationals rolled to an 8-3 win.
Jayson Werth cracked a two-run shot, while Anthony Rendon, Ian Desmond and Bryce Harper clubbed solo blasts for the Nationals, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
“We brought a good approach to the plate today,” said Desmond. “We forced (Hernandez) to get the ball up and were able to make him pay.”
Rendon finished 4-for-4 with two runs scored and Harper posted three hits.
Jordan Zimmermann (10-5) struck out eight and surrendered two runs on seven hits and a walk over six frames to notch the win.
Hernandez (13-5) served up a career-high four homers, allowing five runs on 10 hits and a walk over seven innings for Seattle, which has dropped three of its last four contests.
“Felix is human,” Mariners interim manager Trent Jewett said. “It’s going to happen.”
The Mariners have yet to beat the Nationals in 10 meetings since Washington relocated from Montreal in 2005.
This is the first series between these teams since 2011.