Chicago @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 7, 2019 ) Seattle 12, Chi. White Sox 5

Kyle Lewis is making a huge impression during his brief fling in the majors and looks to make some history when the Seattle Mariners host the Chicago White Sox on Friday for the opener of their three-game series. Lewis went deep for the third straight game during Thursday's 11-5 loss to Cincinnati and will look to join Colorado's Trevor Story (2016) as the only players to homer in each of their first four major-league contests.

Lewis, who was recalled from Double-A Arkansas on Tuesday, recorded three hits on Thursday to improve to 5-for-11 while joining Story as the only major leaguers to go deep in their first three contests. "Kyle Lewis again, wow, he's off to some kind of start," Mariners manager Scott Servais said in his press conference following Thursday's loss. "Love to see a young player come to the big leagues and get off to the start he has, he looks very comfortable like he's been here a long time." Chicago lost 6-3 to Kansas City on Thursday to drop to 64-82 and clinch its seventh straight losing season, but manager Rick Renteria is adamant his club will turn the corner next season. "We are trying to win," Renteria told reporters afterward. "We talk about it, we are going through it. I know there's still refining to do, but I'll be honest with you. We are finishing this season, we are talking about coming into next season ready to battle, period, exclamation point. That's what we are looking to do."

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Dylan Covey (1-8, 7.69 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 5.24)

Covey was torched for seven runs and seven hits over 2 2/3 innings while losing to the Los Angeles Angels in his last turn. The 28-year-old is 0-4 with a 14.26 ERA over 17 2/3 innings in eight appearances (four starts) since the All-Star break. Covey is 1-0 with a 2.51 ERA in two career starts against Seattle, including a stellar outing on July 21, 2018 in which he gave up just two hits over 8 1/3 innings.

Kikuchi settled for a no-decision against Houston in his last turn, when he gave up one run and five hits over five innings. The 28-year-old has worked five frames or fewer in six of his last seven turns, with the exception being a two-hit shutout against Toronto on Aug. 18. Kikuchi gave up six runs - four earned - and seven hits over five innings against the White Sox on April 5, when he wasn't involved in the decision.

WALK-OFFS

1. White Sox 3B Yoan Moncada went 3-for-5 on Thursday, giving him multiple hits in six of his last eight games.

2. Seattle C Omar Narvaez hit his 20th homer of the season on Thursday after belting just 12 in 221 games for Chicago over the previous three years.

3. Chicago RHP Lucas Giolito set a franchise record by striking out eight consecutive Royals on Thursday, one shy of the American League record set in 2012 by Doug Fister .

PREDICTION: White Sox 10, Mariners 9