New York @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( May 16, 2013 ) Seattle 3, NY Yankees 2

Ichiro Suzuki makes his second visit to Seattle as a visiting player when the New York Yankees open up a four-game set against the Mariners on Thursday. The future Hall of Famer was traded to the Yankees last July and his first three games for New York came in Seattle and he went 3-for-12. Ichiro went 1-for-12 against the Mariners earlier this season to drop to .206 in 34 at-bats against his former club.

Seattle gets to take another shot at Phil Hughes, who lasted just two-thirds of an inning and allowed seven runs on May 15 when the Mariners posted a 12-2 win in New York. The Mariners suffered a 7-5, 16-inning loss on Thursday in a contest in which both the Chicago White Sox and Seattle scored five runs apiece in the 14th after 13 scoreless frames. The Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday and are beginning a 10-game road swing that includes three-game series against the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Phil Hughes (2-4, 5.37 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Aaron Harang (2-5, 5.82)

Hughes has allowed seven homers over his last five starts and 12 overall. He lost to the Boston Red Sox in his last outing when he gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. Hughes is 4-3 with a 4.29 ERA in 10 career appearances (seven starts) against the Mariners.

Harang has put together strong back-to-back outings in which he has yielded one earned run and eight hits over 15 innings. He has allowed two runs or less in four of his last five starts after a rocky start. Harang has never faced the Yankees.

WALK-OFFS

1. Seattle’s Michael Morse (strained right quadriceps) is expected to be in the lineup for the first time since May 28. He will either play first base or serve as the designated hitter.

2. Ichiro is 1-for-16 against Harang while teammate Lyle Overbay is 11-for-24 with five doubles.

3. Mariners OF Raul Ibanez is 3-for-3 with two homers and six RBIs against Hughes. Ibanez hit a grand slam in the mid-May contest.

PREDICTION: Yankees 6, Mariners 5