Yankees look to knock off slumping Mariners again

For the first time all season, the Seattle Mariners are a .500 team. And their quick start is fading away.

The Mariners hope to avoid falling below the break-even point Wednesday night when they visit the surging New York Yankees for the third game of a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.

Seattle entered the ninth inning Tuesday holding a 4-2 lead, but dropped to 19-19 when it could not get the final three outs and took a 5-4 loss. Anthony Swarzak gave up a game-tying two-run homer to Gio Urshela with one out in the ninth, and Roenis Elias surrendered a two-out single to DJ LeMahieu.

The collapse continued a downward spiral since Seattle won 13 of its first 15 games. Since a 7-6 win in Kansas City on April 11, the Mariners are 6-17.

During the slide, 12 losses have come by three runs or fewer and the latest defeat occurred after the Mariners were 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

"We didn't spread the game around by four or five runs like we were hoping to do," Seattle manager Scott Servais told reporters. "That's what you need to do when you're on the road. You got to score runs and when you have them down, you got to step on them and we weren't able to do that tonight."

While the Mariners are cooling off, the Yankees continue to roll. They are 15-5 in their last 20 games after LeMahieu reached safely four times and scored Cameron Maybin by producing his second career walk-off hit.

In a season where the Yankees are battered by injuries, LeMahieu has been a consistent presence. He is hitting .471 (16-for-34) during a nine-game hitting streak and is hitting .330 overall.

Urshela filled in at third base when Miguel Andujar was sidelined with a right shoulder injury.

"Whether it's been a kid coming up from the minor leagues, whether it's been somebody from outside the organization that we pick up like Cameron Maybin, guys have just come in and fit in really well into the room," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "And there's a comfort in the room. Guys are coming in prepared to do their job and by and large, they've done it really well."

Seattle's Yusei Kikuchi makes his ninth career start and is coming off his best start in the majors. In a no-decision during Friday's 2-1 loss at Cleveland, he allowed one run on three hits while striking out 10 in seven innings.

Overall, Kikuchi is 1-1 with a 3.98 ERA so far after going 69-45 with a 2.69 ERA in 148 games (144 starts) with Seibu in Japan's Pacific League. He was a three-time All-Star in the Pacific League and was 42-17 with a 2.51 ERA in the last three seasons.

Jonathan Loaisiga, who is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA, will fill the rotation spot while James Paxton recovers from left knee inflammation. Paxton was originally slated to start against his former team but landed on the injured list Saturday and will be sidelined for approximately three weeks.

Loaisiga's last start was a no-decision on April 9 at Houston when he allowed two runs on four hits in three innings. His last appearance with the Yankees was April 24 against the Los Angeles Angels when he earned the win by pitching three scoreless innings.

He faced Seattle on June 20 when he opposed Felix Hernandez and allowed three runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings in a game the Yankees rallied to win.

--Field Level Media