Cleveland @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( May 20, 2013 ) Seattle 8, Cleveland 10

The Seattle Mariners are in the midst of their best stretch of the season as they open a three-game series against the visiting Cleveland Indians on Monday. Seattle has won a season-high six consecutive games and has displayed uncharacteristically stellar scoring prowess while outscoring opponents 44-20 during the stretch. Cleveland swept a four-game home set against the Mariners in mid-May and trails the first-place Detroit Tigers by 1 1/2 games in the American League Central.

The Indians lost two of three to the Minnesota Twins after the All-Star break, with the victory coming Sunday behind stellar pitching by Justin Masterson, who gave up one run and one hit in seven innings. All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis had two homers and five RBIs over the final two games of the series and has four multihit performances in five games. The Mariners are opening a seven-game homestand and are only six games below .500 after their current spurt.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Ubaldo Jimenez (7-4, 4.56 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Aaron Harang (4-8, 5.38)

Jimenez is 3-0 over his past seven starts since falling to the Detroit Tigers on June 7. He lasted only four innings in his last outing and allowed four runs and eight hits against Kansas City. Jimenez is 2-0 with a 4.21 ERA in four career starts against Seattle and took a no-decision on May 17 when he struck out a season-best nine and gave up two runs and seven hits in five innings.

Harang was rocked for seven runs and eight hits in five innings while losing to Boston in his last outing. He had given up just nine earned runs over a five-start stretch before the rough start. Harang is 4-2 with a 2.95 ERA in 10 career starts against Cleveland.

WALK-OFFS

1. Seattle 2B Nick Franklin hit a grand slam in Sunday’s 12-5 win over the Houston Astros and has seven homers in 45 major-league games.

2. Indians CF Michael Bourn was 7-for-18 with three multihit games during May’s four-game sweep of the Mariners.

3. Mariners OF Michael Saunders is 4-for-8 with a homer against Jimenez and enters the series with a 10-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Mariners 5, Indians 3