Seattle @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( May 31, 2016 ) San Diego 4, Seattle 16

Felix Hernandez seeks to continue his dominance at Petco Park when the Seattle Mariners visit the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. Hernandez is 5-0 with a 1.51 ERA in seven career starts at San Diego's ballpark and had to be envious of the 25 runs the Mariners scored in Seattle in the first two contests of the home-and-home, four-game set.

Hernandez will be attempting to rebound from one of his worst outings of the season after he gave up a season-worst six runs in six innings in a loss to the Minnesota Twins last Friday -- his second defeat in a three-start span. He will be facing the fast-crumbling Padres, who finished a 1-7 road trip by being shellacked 16-4 on Tuesday when the Mariners set a season best for runs scored. Seattle blasted a season-high five homers in the contest -- left fielder Seth Smith hit two for his seventh career multi-homer game -- to take over the major league lead with 77 homers. "I'm looking for a pitch to hit and hoping I can recognize the ones I can hit well and the ones I can't," Smith said after the solid contest leaves him 9-for-20 over the past six games.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle), FSN San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (4-4, 2.86 ERA) vs. Padres LH Christian Friedrich (1-1, 1.65)

Hernandez struggled in May with a 4.45 ERA in five starts after a dazzling April in which he posted a 1.38 ERA and limited opposing batters to a .165 average. He struck out only 25 hitters in May and has fanned more than six just twice in 10 starts this season. Overall, Hernandez is 6-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 12 career starts against San Diego and has shut down Melvin Upton Jr. (3-for-31, 11 strikeouts) and Derek Norris (0-for-12, seven strikeouts).

Friedrich is making his fourth start for San Diego and was brilliant in his last outing. The 28-year-old journeyman allowed just three hits over seven scoreless innings while defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks for his second strong showing since being recalled by the Padres. Friedrich is 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in four career appearances (one start) against Seattle and has been roughed up by Kyle Seager (5-for-6, two homers).

WALK-OFFS

1. The Padres, who have lost eight of their last nine games, have allowed 39 runs during a four-game skid.

2. Seattle 2B Robinson Cano has reached base in 29 consecutive games after walking three times on Tuesday.

3. San Diego RF Matt Kemp has three homers in the past five games, all solo shots.

PREDICTION: Mariners 5, Padres 1