Tampa Bay @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 5, 2015 ) Tampa Bay 1, Seattle 0

The surprising Tampa Bay Rays go after their seventh win in the last eight games when they visit the struggling Seattle Mariners on Saturday in the third of a four-game series. Logan Forsythe’s ninth-inning homer gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 victory Friday as Seattle tumbled to a seventh consecutive loss despite a leadoff triple in its final at-bat.

Three starting pitchers are on the disabled list and Jake Odorizzi left in the fifth Friday with left oblique tightness for the Rays, who have held opponents to two or fewer runs in 27 of 56 games. While Tampa Bay is one-half game behind the first-place New York Yankees in the American League East, the Mariners are 1-8 on their homestand to fall 9 ½ games out in the AL West. All Star Felix Hernandez takes the mound looking to end the misery for Seattle, which left nine on base Friday. Logan Morrison, who missed Thursday’s game for the Mariners with back spasms before going 1-for-3 on Friday, attempts to extend his hitting streak to a career best-matching 13 games.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Alex Colome (3-2, 5.05 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (8-2, 2.63)

Colome has managed only one victory in his last five starts after winning his first two turns of the campaign. The 26-year-old Dominican yielded five runs and nine hits over six innings to lose last time out against the Los Angeles Angels after permitting two runs in 5 1/3 frames versus Seattle without a decision in the previous outing. Robinson Cano is 2-for-4 with two walks against Colome, who has allowed seven homers in seven starts.

Hernandez comes in off his worst outing of the season when he gave up seven runs and six hits in a season-low 4 2/3 innings against the New York Yankees. The 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner had held Tampa Bay to four hits while striking out eight in a complete-game shutout in his previous start on May 27. David DeJesus is 13-for-39 with a home run versus Hernandez, who is 6-2 with a 1.94 ERA in 14 career starts against the Rays.

WALK-OFFS

1. Three different Rays have recorded a save on the road trip – RHP Brad Boxberger, RHP Steven Geltz and RHP Kevin Jepsen.

2. Cano, who had reached base safely in 16 straight games against Tampa Bay before Friday's hitless effort, is two runs shy of 900 for his career.

3. Tampa Bay INF-OF Jake Elmore boasts three two-hit performances in five games against the Mariners this season.

PREDICTION: Mariners 5, Rays 1