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Cubs-Mariners Preview

Jun 24, 2010 - 6:33 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Chicago (31-39) at Seattle (29-41), 3:40 p.m. EDT

The last time Cliff Lee earned a complete-game victory for the Seattle Mariners, Felix Hernandez followed with one of his own.

Hernandez has a chance to do it again, help the Mariners extend their winning streak to seven and complete a sweep of the Chicago Cubs on Thursday at Safeco Field.

Lee threw a six-hitter to beat Cincinnati 1-0 last Friday. Hernandez (5-5, 3.39 ERA) followed with a five-hitter Saturday in a 5-1 win over the Reds.

After Lee tossed a nine-hitter in an 8-1 win over Chicago on Tuesday, Hernandez hopes to again help the Mariners (30-41) continue their recent dominance on the mound. Seattle's starters have allowed three runs while striking out 38 batters in 47 2-3 innings during the six-game winning streak.

The Mariners are trying to win seven in a row for the first time since an eight-game run June 23-July 1, 2007.

"Our pitching staff is unbelievable right now," first baseman Mike Carp told the Mariners' official website. "Hopefully they can keep throwing like that. It's pretty impressive."

Hernandez is 2-0 with a 1.53 ERA since giving up seven runs in six innings of a 7-1 loss at Texas on June 8. He's pitched into the eighth inning in four of his last five outings.

Making his first appearance against the Cubs (31-40), the right-hander is 10-4 with a 2.89 ERA in 18 interleague starts. He is 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA against the NL this season.

Rookie Michael Saunders homered and drove in four runs while Ichiro Suzuki added two RBIs on Wednesday as the Mariners matched the run total from their previous three games.

Batting .339 during interleague play this season, Suzuki is hitting .375 in last six games versus the Cubs. He's 10 for 32 against Chicago's scheduled starter Ted Lilly (2-6, 3.42).

After taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the White Sox in his previous start, Lilly allowed eight runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 12-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday.

"When a starting pitcher goes out there and puts us in a hole it makes it awfully tough," said Lilly, 1-2 with a 3.60 ERA in interleague play this season. "You stay positive and continue to believe in yourself and continue to work hard and figure out if there's some adjustments that you need to make."

The left-hander is 4-6 with a 6.03 ERA in 13 starts versus the Mariners, but has not faced them since 2006.

Chicago rookie outfielder Tyler Colvin snapped a 24-inning scoreless stretch for Seattle's pitching staff with a home run in the second inning Wednesday. However, the Cubs went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position as they clinched their fourth straight losing road series.

One of the few bright spots in Chicago's disappointing season, Colvin has three homers and seven RBIs in his last eight games.

Alfonso Soriano is 7 for 13 in his last three games for the Cubs, but 1 for 6 lifetime against Hernandez.