Seattle @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 31, 2015 ) Seattle 6, Minnesota 1

Nelson Cruz is on a tear at the plate and he'll look to follow up a season-best four-hit effort when the Seattle Mariners visit the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. Cruz is batting .400 during a hitting streak that was extended to 11 games in Friday's 6-1 victory, a triumph in which he belted his sixth homer during the hot stretch.

Cruz has recorded five multi-hit performances during his streak and driven in 10 runs. Seattle halted its four-game slide with Friday's victory, combining a 13-hit attack with Taijuan Walker's one-hitter. Miguel Sano homered for the Twins' lone hit and is 8-for-25 with two blasts during his seven-game hitting streak. Minnesota's Aaron Hicks was hitless in four at-bats after producing five consecutive multi-hit efforts.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle), FSN North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Mike Montgomery (4-4, 3.20 ERA) vs. Twins RH Kyle Gibson (8-8, 3.48)

Montgomery is struggling after a strong start, going 0-2 with a 7.08 ERA in his last four turns. He received a no-decision against Arizona in his last outing, when he allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. Montgomery has served up seven homers in his last five starts after giving up one in his first six.

Gibson has been roughed up for six runs in each of his last two outings, losing both following a four-start winning streak. He allowed just six earned runs during a five-start stretch before getting pounded for 12 runs and 16 hits in 10 1/3 frames in his last two turns. Gibson is 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA in four career starts against Seattle and received a no-decision on April 26, when he gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Twins acquired RHP Kevin Jepsen from Tampa Bay for minor-league RHPs Chih-Wei Hu and Alexis Tapia.

2. Seattle traded RHP Mark Lowe to Toronto for minor-league LHPs Rob Rasmussen (recalled by Mariners), Nick Wells and Jacob Brentz, and also sent LHP J.A. Happ to Pittsburgh for minor-league RHP Adrian Sampson.

3. Minnesota 1B Joe Mauer was 0-for-3 on Friday to end his 11-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Twins 5, Mariners 3