Seattle @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 25, 2018 ) Seattle 11, San Diego 7

The San Diego Padres aren't putting up much fight of late against teams angling for postseason position, and the Seattle Mariners are hoping that trend continues. The Mariners will try to take advantage of the slumping Padres and draw closer in the American League wild card race when they visit for the opener of a two-game interleague series Tuesday.

The Mariners are 4 1/2 games behind the Athletics in the race for the second AL wild card and need to avoid overlooking San Diego with a four-game showdown in Oakland scheduled to begin Thursday. The Padres were swept in a three-game series by NL playoff hopefuls the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend and are 2-8 in their last 10 games - all against potential playoff teams. "There is obviously a ton to improve on," San Diego first baseman Eric Hosmer told reporters. "We have to figure out our identity as a club, our identity as an offense and we just have to find a way to play better baseball." The Padres will try to begin improving as an offense Tuesday against the Mariners' Felix Hernandez while attempting to support their starter, Jacob Nix.


TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), FS San Diego

PITCHING MACHUP: Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (8-11, 5.64 ERA) vs. Padres RH Jacob Nix (1-2, 6.17)

Hernandez returned to the rotation Aug. 20 after a brief stint in the bullpen and was reached for four runs on five hits and a pair of walks in six innings without factoring in the decision. The former Cy Young Award winner struck out six in those six frames to match his total from his previous three outings, encompassing 16 2/3 innings. Hernandez is 6-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 12 career starts against San Diego.

Nix is making his fourth career start and trying to recapture the magic he showed in his MLB debut against Philadelphia on Aug. 10. The 22-year-old breezed through six scoreless innings to earn a win in that turn but was reached for a total of eight runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings over his next two outings. Nix is making his first career start against an AL opponent.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mariners RHP Juan Nicasio is expected to undergo season-ending knee surgery.

2. San Diego OF Wil Myers doubled and tripled Sunday - his first extra-base hits since July 29.

3. Seattle RF Mitch Haniger is enjoying an eight-game hitting streak (12-for-33) and scored nine runs in that span.

PREDICTION: Mariners 6, Padres 5