Saunders' Safeco mastery continues in no-decision

SEATTLE -- Left-hander Joe Saunders has established himself as one of the most effective pitchers at Safeco Field. He took a no-decision on Saturday, giving up one unearned run, and is now 7-0 with a 1.71 ERA in 11 starts at the Mariners' home park.

However, digging a little deeper into the numbers reveals even more dominance. Over Saunders' past nine starts, he has a 0.74 ERA, allowing five earned runs in 61 innings. In those nine starts, he has allowed one earned run or fewer.

Saunders' streak dates back to June 3, 2008, and includes six starts with the Angels, one start with the Orioles and two with the Mariners. Saunders' nine-game run allowing one earned run or fewer is the longest in Safeco history, two better than Brett Anderson (Aug. 25, 2009-current) and Freddy Garcia (Aug. 12, 2003-May 6, 2004). Jason Vargas also had a six-start streak from Sept. 8, 2011 to May 9, 2012.