New York @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( May 13, 2012 ) Seattle 6, NY Yankees 2

The New York Yankees are enduring their first four-game losing streak of the season and have suddenly forgotten how to win close games. The Yankees lost all four games at the Oakland Athletics over the weekend by one run, including two in walk-off fashion. The Seattle Mariners won five of seven on their just-completed road trip but have had trouble scoring at Safeco Field all season. They will try to turn things around when they host New York on Monday.

Their stellar work up until the weekend has kept the Yankees with a comfortable six-game lead in the American League East, but that is down from a 10-game bulge. While the offense had trouble scoring in Oakland, the bullpen can take some of the blame for the losses. Rafael Soriano suffered a blown save on Sunday and Cody Eppley absorbed a pair of losses in the series. Seattle earned a pair of one-run wins at Tampa Bay on Saturday and Sunday to improve to 25-28 on the road. The Mariners are only 17-27 at home, though, and are batting a major-league low .196 at Safeco Field.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, YES (New York), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Hiroki Kuroda (9-7, 3.46 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Kevin Millwood (3-7, 4.15)

Kuroda has not lost since June 19 and is coming off one of his better efforts, when he held Toronto to four hits in seven scoreless innings last week. The right-hander had been bailed out by the New York offense in his previous two outings but did not walk a batter and induced 14 groundouts against the Blue Jays. Kuroda beat the Mariners on May 11, allowing two runs on six hits in seven innings.

Millwood has not won since May 23 and was lit up for seven runs and 10 hits over five innings in a no decision at Kansas City last week. The veteran right-hander has pitched to two extremes this season, having outings like last week contrasted against nine starts in which he has allowed one run or fewer. Millwood yielded just one run on three hits to earn a win at New York on May 13, striking out six in seven innings. He is 3-6 with a 4.80 ERA in 14 career starts against the Yankees.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees RF Nick Swisher (hip) has missed the last two games and is questionable for the Seattle series.

2. Before the weekend New York had never been swept in a four-game series by one run in each game.

3. Former Yankee Jesus Montero has recorded multiple hits in six of the last seven games and RBIs in four of the last five for Seattle.