Seattle @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 22, 2016 ) Seattle 2, Toronto 1

The Seattle Mariners are having their way with American League East opponents this season and look to continue the trend when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon. The Mariners held off the Blue Jays 2-1 in the opener of a three-game series Friday, improving to 14-6 with five straight victories against the AL East.

Nelson Cruz had a pair of hits Friday and is 8-for-17 over the last five games for Seattle, which sends right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma to the mound Saturday in search of his fifth consecutive victory. Toronto saw its three-game winning streak come to an end Friday to drop two games behind first-place Baltimore in the East. Slugger Jose Bautista could return from the disabled list next week, but the Blue Jays have been hot with the bats since the All-Star break (32 runs, six games) despite managing just four hits Friday. Josh Donaldson is 8-for-18 over the last four games and Troy Tulowitzki is 10-for-30 during a seven-game hitting streak for Toronto.

TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ROOT (Seattle), TVAS, Sportsnet (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (10-6, 4.01 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (7-10, 4.11)

Iwakuma capped his four-game win streak by giving up two hits over seven scoreless innings against Houston on Saturday. The 35-year-old Japanese native went 0-3 with a 4.65 ERA in April, but has gone at least seven innings in half of his 14 starts since to build a 10-3 mark. Edwin Encarnacion is 3-for-9 with a homer versus Iwakuma, who is 3-1 with a 2.40 ERA in five games (four starts) against Toronto.

Dickey struggled in his first start after the break, allowing five runs on five hits (three homers) over six innings in a loss at Oakland. The 41-year-old knuckleballer won three of his previous four starts, but has surrendered 23 homers in 20 outings overall and is 2-6 at home this season. Robinson Cano is 8-for-29 against Dickey, who is 5-3 with a 4.22 ERA in 13 appearances (five starts) versus the Mariners.

WALK-OFFS

1. Toronto C Russell Martin is expected to miss at least one more game after slipping in the shower and suffering a minor knee injury.

2. Seattle SS Ketel Marte has been placed on the disabled list with mononucleosis and INF Luis Sardinas was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma.

3. Toronto OF Michael Saunders belted a homer Friday after going 1-for-20 in his previous six contests.

PREDICTION: Mariners 3, Blue Jays 2