Seattle @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 18, 2019 ) Seattle 4, Pittsburgh 1

The Seattle Mariners attempt to finish off a three-game sweep when they visit the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. Seattle won the first two games by a 10-1 margin and has won four straight contests and six of eight since hot-hitting Kyle Lewis reached the majors.

The 24-year-old Lewis smacked his fifth homer since his recall during Tuesday's 4-1 victory and is 10-for-34 with 10 RBIs but has also fanned 13 times. Tom Murphy followed Lewis' fourth-inning blast with one of his own and has gone deep 18 times after entering the season with nine over parts of four campaigns with the Colorado Rockies. Pittsburgh is fading with five straight setbacks and has been outscored 57-16 during the span, giving up 47 in three games against the Chicago Cubs prior to the series with Seattle. Slugger Josh Bell (groin) will miss his fifth straight game and Pittsburgh badly misses the player who has established career bests of 37 homers and 116 RBIs.

TV: 12:35 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports (Seattle), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Yusei Kikuchi (6-10, 5.46 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Joe Musgrove (10-12, 4.52)

Kikuchi lasted 2 1/3 innings when he gave up five runs and 10 hits in a loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 13. The 28-year-old from Japan served up two homers against Chicago and has allowed 36 overall, the most ever by a rookie. Kikuchi is 4-3 with a 5.03 ERA in 16 road starts.

Musgrove has won back-to-back outings after being 0-3 over his previous five turns. The 26-year-old struck out seven and gave up four hits over five innings while beating the San Francisco Giants after missing one start because of a foot injury. Musgrove is 1-1 with a 7.50 ERA in five career appearances (three starts) against the Mariners.

WALK-OFFS

1. Pirates CF Starling Marte (wrist) will miss his 10th straight start and is unlikely to be able to bat or play in the field for another week.

2. Seattle 1B Austin Nola was hitless in four at-bats Tuesday after being 7-for-9 over the previous two games.

3. Pittsburgh LHP Felipe Vazquez remains in jail without bail and now faces charges in Pennsylvania as well as the ones announced Tuesday in Florida because of allegations he had improper sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl in 2017.

PREDICTION: Pirates 5, Mariners 4