Seattle @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 15, 2015 ) Seattle 5, San Francisco 1

Riveting moments have been hard to come by lately for the Seattle Mariners, who haven’t played in a contest decided by four runs or fewer since beginning an eight-game trek away from home early last week. The Mariners eye their second consecutive winning road trip Tuesday when they end it in the second of a four-game, home-and-home set against the reeling San Francisco Giants.

Seattle, which went 6-3 during a nine-game trip through the American League East from May 19-27, rebounded from an odd series in Houston with Monday’s 5-1 victory over the Giants. The Mariners sandwiched double-digit shutout losses around an 8-1 win versus the Astros after splitting a pair of six-run decisions with Cleveland that followed a 3-2 triumph over the Indians last Tuesday. San Francisco has lost five straight overall — its third losing streak of at least that many games this season — and continued its longest home skid (nine) since an 11-game slide from Sept. 11-19, 1940, at the Polo Grounds with Monday's setback. The Giants have been outscored 45-17 during their home losing streak, scoring two runs or fewer in six of the defeats — including each of the last four.

TV: 3:45 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH J.A. Happ (3-2, 3.72 ERA) vs. Giants RH Tim Lincecum (6-3, 3.33)

Happ remained winless over his last six outings with the shortest outing of his career Thursday, giving up four runs in 2 1/3 frames during a 6-0 setback at Cleveland. The loss ended a streak of five straight no-decisions for the 32-year-old Illinois native, who has struggled mightily on the road (1-1, 6.14 ERA, compared to 2-1, 1.88 at home). Happ has been similarly ineffective in three career starts against the Giants, going 0-3 while posting a 7.63 ERA.

After posting five quality starts in his first eight trips to the mound, Lincecum failed to do so for the fourth straight time, yielding three runs (two earned) over 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the New York Mets on Thursday. Only one of those four lackluster efforts has taken place at home, however, where the two-time National League Cy Young Award is 4-2 with a 1.98 ERA in six turns. Lincecum, who celebrated his 31st birthday in his home state Monday, took the loss in his only career start versus the Mariners after surrendering five runs in as many innings in 2012.

WALK-OFFS

1. Seattle has won 12 of the last 16 meetings.

2. Monday’s loss was only the third in the Giants’ last 14 regular-season games at AT&T Park against an American League foe.

3. San Francisco is batting .210 during its home slide.

PREDICTION: Mariners 4, Giants 2