Tampa Bay @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( May 12, 2014 ) Tampa Bay 5, Seattle 12

Tampa Bay ace David Price is trying to recapture his consistency as he takes the mound against Seattle’s Hisashi Iwakuma when the Rays visit the Mariners on Tuesday in the second contest of a three-game series. Price has rotated stellar starts with rough outings over the season's first six weeks despite a stellar strikeout-to-walk ratio of 58 to 6. Iwakuma tossed eight shutout innings while beating Kansas City last Thursday in his second start since returning from a finger injury.

Seattle set a season high for runs scored in Monday’s 12-5 victory as Stefen Romero, Justin Smoak and Mike Zunino each hit homers. The Rays, who have lost six of seven games, committed four errors while digging themselves a 9-0 hole in a performance that dismayed manager Joe Maddon. “We got ambushed,” Maddon told reporters afterward. “We just sashayed into the canyon and they were firing from both sides.”

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH David Price (3-3, 4.53 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (2-0, 2.45)

Price has worked seven innings or more in all four of his strong outings and six or fewer in all four shaky ones. The three-time All-Star last won April 22 and allowed three runs and nine hits in five-plus innings against Baltimore in his last turn. Price will be pitching at Safeco Field for the first time and has made only one career start against Seattle, that coming last August when he gave up four runs and five hits in seven innings of a no-decision.

Iwakuma has won both his outings since returning from the finger ailment that occurred prior to the start of spring training. He struck out seven and allowed four hits against the Royals while displaying last season’s All-Star form. Iwakuma is 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two career starts against the Rays.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay C Ryan Hanigan had four RBIs on Monday, and 13 of his 22 RBIs this season have come in three games.

2. Mariners rookie CF James Jones is 5-for-13 with four runs scored, three doubles and two walks over the last four games.

3. Rays 2B Ben Zobrist is 4-for-6 against Iwakuma.

PREDICTION: Mariners 3, Rays 1