Seattle @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 21, 2016 ) Seattle 2, Detroit 4

The losses continue to pile up for the Seattle Mariners, who have fallen off precipitously after a strong first two months. The Mariners will try to stop their latest slide at four straight when they visit the Detroit Tigers for the third of a four-game series on Wednesday.

Seattle was sitting at 30-21 at the end of May and was locked in a battle for first place in the American League West with the Texas Rangers before dropping 14 of their first 20 games in June. Late-game execution is the big issue after the Mariners squandered a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning on Tuesday and fell 8-7 in 12 innings in Monday’s series opener. The Tigers (36-35) pulled back above .500 with Tuesday’s triumph and has a chance to make a move in the AL Central with the first-place Cleveland Indians coming to town this week. Detroit is 19-13 at home and 2-0 on the current nine-game homestand.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (6-5, 4.18 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Michael Fulmer (7-2, 2.43)

Iwakuma went seven innings in each of his last five starts and is coming off a win at Boston on Friday. The Japan native scattered four runs and nine hits across seven innings against the Red Sox but got plenty of support in the 8-4 triumph. Iwakuma is 1-1 with a 3.34 ERA in six career games against the Tigers, including seven solid innings at Detroit in a no decision last season.

Fulmer had his string of scoreless innings come to an end at 33 1/3 on Friday, when Kansas City’s Salvador Perez reached him for a solo home run. The 23-year-old has allowed a total of two runs in his last six starts and failed to make it through six innings for the first time in that span when he was lifted after 5 2/3 at the Royals. Fulmer is making his first start against Seattle and is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two home starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tigers LF Justin Upton has hit safely in 11 straight games.

2. Seattle 3B Kyle Seager homered in each of the first two games of the series.

3. Detroit RHP Bruce Rondon has worked three hitless innings since being recalled.

PREDICTION: Tigers 3, Mariners 1