Seattle @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( May 29, 2011 ) NY Yankees 7, Seattle 1

THE STORY: Things don’t get any easier for the Seattle Mariners, who are riding a franchise-high 15-game losing streak. After being swept in a three-game series by the Boston Red Sox, the Mariners begin a three-game set against New York at Yankee Stadium on Monday night. The Yankees start Freddy Garcia, a reclamation project success, opposite struggling lefty Jason Vargas.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ROOT, YES

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Jason Vargas (6-8, 3.94 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Freddy Garcia (8-7, 3.21 ERA)

Vargas was having a solid season for Seattle, but he has lost three straight starts during the Mariners' struggles. In two, the Mariners failed to score a run, but Vargas was the culprit in his last outing when he battled control problems. He walked five and allowed five earned runs in three innings of an 11-6 loss to Texas - virtually the same line he had against the Yankees earlier this season. Garcia continues to impress. Outside of a 7-1 loss against Toronto in which he allowed five earned runs in five innings, Garcia has allowed a total of seven runs over 33 2/3 innings in six games. Garcia’s ERA is the lowest it’s been in any season since 2004. Garcia broke in with the Mariners and is 4-3 against them in his career with a 5.46 ERA.

ABOUT THE MARINERS (43-58): Light-hitting Seattle scored eight runs Sunday but it still wasn’t enough to snap their long skid in a 12-8 decision. “This is definitely frustrating,” said shortstop Brendan Ryan. “There aren’t too many laughs now. There shouldn’t be.” Yankee Stadium has typically been a house of horrors for the Mariners, but earlier in the season they won two of three there. They are 4-13 at New York in the past few seasons. Seattle has lost 11 in a row on the road. Manager Eric Wedge shaved off his moustache before Sunday’s game, but nothing else changed as the Mariners fell behind 11-1 early.

ABOUT THE YANKEES (59-40): New York will try to stay on Boston’s heels in the AL East and become the second team in the league to reach 60 wins on Monday. New York took two of three over the weekend against the Athletics and are three games back of Boston. Curtis Granderson (27 home runs) continues to power the New York offense. Mariano Rivera may not be available Monday after being called on to earn a four-out save Sunday. Rivera was not as sharp as usual and allowed four hits and one run while recording his 25th save.

FINAL PITCH: Alex Rodriguez could be back as early as the second week of August, according to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. A-Rod has been out since July 7 with a torn meniscus. New York is 8-6 without him.