Seattle @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( May 14, 2014 ) Tampa Bay 2, Seattle 0

Two teams moving in opposite directions meet when the Seattle Mariners visit the reeling Tampa Bay Rays on Friday to start a four-game series. The Mariners have matched their season high with five straight wins while allowing only nine runs and All Star Robinson Cano continues to lead the way with 14 hits in his last nine contests. Tampa Bay has lost 10 consecutive games, its longest slide since losing 11 in a row in September 2009, and owns the worst record in the majors (23-38).

The Rays have gone 18 games without getting a victory from a starting pitcher and gave up 16 runs the last two days after scoring only six times in the previous six contests. Seattle (31-28) is three games over .500 for the first time since April 11 and has won 24 of its last 39 overall. The Mariners are only batting .238 as a team, but stand second in the American League in ERA at 3.48.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET; ROOT (Seattle), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Chris Young (5-2, 3.27 ERA) vs. Rays LH Erik Bedard (2-4, 4.08)

Young continues to solidify his spot in the rotation while allowing three or fewer runs in seven of his 10 starts, including wins in his previous two. The 6-10 Dallas native has surrendered 10 homers over 63 1/3 innings, but only 46 hits overall – five combined in his last two outings. Matt Joyce is 3-for-3 against Young, who is 1-1 in two career starts versus Tampa Bay while giving up nine runs in nine innings.

Bedard is 0-3 in his last three starts, yielding 14 runs (11 earned) over 14 innings, after permitting four runs (two earned) over his previous four turns. The 35-year-old Canadian made 46 starts with the Mariners from 2008-11, winning 15 of 29 decisions. Cano is 5-for-19 with two doubles and a homer against Bedard, who is 1-4 in eight appearances (seven starts) with a 4.02 ERA versus Seattle.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay is 7-for-65 with runners in scoring position during its losing streak after snapping a 0-for-31 run in the 11-6 loss to Miami on Thursday.

2. Seattle 3B Kyle Seager boasts three homers and eight RBIs in the last seven games and leads the team with nine and 37, respectively.

3. Rays All Star 3B Evan Longoria is beginning to warm up with seven hits in his last 20 at-bats, but has only two RBIs in 18 games.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Mariners 4