MLB Game Preview - NY Yankees at Seattle

Tue Aug 27, 2019 10:10 PM EDT

The interest level will be higher than usual for a normal game at the end of August between the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners, who are headed in significantly different directions.

The interest will be especially high in Japan since Masahiro Tanaka and Yusei Kikuchi will oppose each other for the first time in the major leagues Tuesday night when the first-place Yankees visit the last-place Mariners for the second game of a three-game series.

Tanaka, 30, will be making his 159th career regular-season start since signing with the Yankees in 2014. Kikuchi, 28, is making his 27th career start after inking a four-year contract with Seattle last winter.

Kikuchi, who grew up near Tanaka's hometown in Japan, pitched eight seasons in his native country for the Seibu Lions.

"I was really pumped to face a really good team like (the Yankees)," Kikuchi told reporters through an interpreter Monday. "And also on top of that, I found out it's going to be against Mr. Tanaka on the other side. So it's going to be a very special game and moment for me. ...

"He's a guy that came to the States before me and put up a lot of good numbers, so he's a role model to look up to. To everyone back home, I want to show him a really good matchup and go out there and compete for my team and show the fans what we are made of."

Tanaka said through an interpreter, "There's only a handful of Japanese players, or pitchers for that matter, in the league. To be able to go out there and go against each other, it will be a fun thing, so I'm looking forward to it."

Both Kikuchi and Tanaka are dealing with inconsistency this season. Kikuchi is 5-8 with a 5.19 ERA while Tanaka is 9-7 with a 4.68 ERA.

Kikuchi will be pitching for the first time since Aug. 18, when he threw a 96-pitch two-hitter in Toronto. His first career complete game and shutout occurred after he was tagged for five runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings at Detroit on Aug. 13.

One of Kikuchi's best outings took place in New York when he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and allowed three hits in 7 2/3 innings of a 10-1 win on May 8. That represented Kikuchi's longest outing until his gem in Toronto.

Tanaka is 2-2 with a 7.09 ERA in his past six starts. He last pitched in a 5-3 loss at Oakland on Thursday, when he allowed five runs in six innings after allowing two runs in his previous two starts combined.

Tanaka is 7-0 with a 2.10 ERA in nine career starts against the Mariners, including a no-decision on May 9, when he gave up two runs in 6 1/3 innings.

The Yankees will be trying to clinch the series after recording a 5-4 win on Monday. Rookie Mike Ford homered in consecutive at-bats and Gleyber Torres also connected as New York improved to 3-4 on its nine-game road trip.

Seattle is 6-3 in its past nine games after getting four hits, striking out 14 times and going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position Monday. Dylan Moore hit a three-run homer, and Mallex Smith hit a solo shot.

--Field Level Media