Seattle @ Toronto preview

Seattle at Toronto

Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2014 ) Seattle 7, Toronto 5

The Seattle Mariners hope the latest installment of King Felix Day can help them snap out of a recent rough patch. Mariners ace Felix Hernandez gets the ball for Friday's series opener against the host Toronto Blue Jays and he's looking to bounce back from his first loss since last September.

The Mariners dropped two of three at Baltimore to open their nine-game road trip and have struggled to a 7-12 mark away from home. Seattle needs a strong effort from Hernandez after starter J.A. Happ was knocked out early in Thursday's 5-4 loss. The Blue Jays have dropped nine of their last 12 but belted 10 hits in an 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday to salvage a split of a four-game series. Toronto is 11-9 at home and has won nine of its last 13 at Rogers Centre.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle), SNET-1 (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (6-1, 2.30 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Marco Estrada (1-2, 3.55)

Hernandez is coming off his first defeat of the season after giving up four runs over six innings in a loss to Boston on Saturday. The 29-year-old ace had uncharacteristic command problems, issuing a season-high four walks. Hernandez has had trouble with the Blue Jays, going 5-6 with a 4.80 ERA in 13 career meetings.

Estrada is winless in three starts since entering the rotation, and he hasn't pitched into the sixth in any of them. The 31-year-old racked up a season-high eight strikeouts last time out but didn't get a decision after allowing two runs and three hits over five innings. Estrada has never faced the Mariners.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays RF Jose Bautista is 7-for-21 with two homers versus Hernandez, but the rest of Toronto's roster is a combined 17-for-106 against the Seattle ace.

2. Mariners 3B Kyle Seager is 10-for-26 during a seven-game hitting streak.

3. New Seattle C Welington Castillo is 6-for-21 with four homers against Estrada.