Seattle @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 13, 2016 ) Cincinnati 5, Seattle 3

The Seattle Mariners have yet to lose a series on the road and look to keep that streak intact when they open a three-game interleague set at the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night. The Mariners took two of three in Baltimore to improve to an American League-leading 15-7 away from home while boosting their series record to 6-0-1 on the road.

"We play well on the road. We have a lot of confidence," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "You've got to hit on the road to win -- and we have." Mariners first baseman Adam Lind, who clubbed a game-breaking three-run homer Thursday, is a .379 hitter with seven blasts in 30 career games against Cincinnati. The Reds are coming off a four-game, home-and-home sweep at the hands of in-state rival Cleveland and have dropped seven of their last eight. Cincinnati is 2-10 all-time against the Mariners, including 1-5 at home.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (1-4, 4.38 ERA) vs. Reds RH Dan Straily (2-1, 3.05)

Iwakuma was 22 games over .500 over his first four years with the Mariners, but he has been unable to get untracked this season. The 35-year-old from Japan remained stuck on one victory following a no-decision versus the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, when he was reached for four runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings. Although he has never faced the Reds, Iwakuma has been fairly solid on the road with a 1-2 record and 3.38 ERA in five starts.

Straily managed to hold Philadelphia scoreless over five innings in his last outing despite giving up six hits and walking three batters. Minimizing the damage has been the biggest positive for Straily, who has yet to allow more than three runs in nine appearances (six starts). Straily saw plenty of Seattle while with Oakland and the results were not pretty -- an 0-2 record with a 6.20 ERA and eight homers allowed in 24 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mariners 2B Robinson Cano is 5-for-12 with four doubles during a three-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 16 of 17 contests.

2. Reds 1B Joey Votto, who has back-to-back two-RBI games, is 7-for-21 lifetime against Seattle.

3. The Mariners are a perfect 4-0 in the rubber match of a three-game set.

PREDICTION: Mariners 4, Reds 3