New York @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 6, 2013 ) NY Yankees 6, Seattle 1

Mark Teixeira has only been back in action for a week, but he enters the second contest of a four-game series against the host Seattle Mariners on Friday having hit three home runs in four games. Teixeira followed Robinson Cano’s three-run shot with a solo blast in the opener as the right wrist injury that sidelined him for two-plus months does not appear to be affecting his power. New York has won four straight games.

Seattle slugger Michael Morse served as the designated hitter in the opener in his first appearance since suffering a quadriceps injury on May 28 and struck out three times in four hitless at-bats. The Mariners are nine games below .500 and just four ahead of the last-place Houston Astros in the American League West. The Yankees are 16-12 on the road after winning the opener of a 10-game West Coast swing.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, YES (New York), ROOT Sports (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Hiroki Kuroda (6-4, 2.59 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Jeremy Bonderman (0-1, 13.50)

Kuroda is 0-2 over his last three starts, including one outing in which he allowed a season-worst five runs in two-plus innings against Baltimore. He has walked more than one hitter in just two of his 12 starts. Kuroda is 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA in four career meetings with the Mariners.

Bonderman was rocked last Sunday in his Seattle debut, which was his first major-league start in more than 2 1/2 years after shoulder and elbow surgeries. He gave up seven runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 frames against the Minnesota Twins as the damage included three homers, three doubles and one triple. Bonderman is 3-9 with a 5.62 ERA in 14 career appearances (13 starts) against the Yankees.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mariners 3B Kyle Seager doubled in the lone Seattle run on Thursday to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.

2. Yankees OF Ichiro Suzuki is batting .326 in 43 career at-bats against Bonderman.

3. Seattle OF Raul Ibanez (1-for-11) and SS Brendan Ryan (0-for-10) have struggled against Kuroda.

PREDICTION: Yankees 6, Mariners 5