Game 63: Yankees open up series in Seattle vs Mariners

Following Monday night's rain out in Kansas City, the Yankees are in Seattle to open up a three-game series against Robinson Cano and the Seattle Mariners. The M's have taken the first three games of the season series, including a makeup game at Yankee Stadium last Monday.

The Yankees are still trying to turn things around, having lost six of their last eight games, including a 2-1 loss to the Royals on Sunday in which the Yankees were 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position.

Now I don't know about you guys, but I miss Robinson Cano, and I'm sure the Yankees do, too. The $240 million man entered Monday hitting .370 (47-for-127) since May 3, the top average in the Majors in that span. Meanwhile, the Yankees' current second baseman, Brian Roberts, is sporting a .239 batting average through 55 games.

It's not just that Cano is playing better than pretty much any Yankee right now, either, but that the Mariners are playing better, too.

Entering Tuesday night's game, Seattle (34-29) leads the Yankees (31-31) by 2.5 games for the second wild card spot in the American League. Before the season, most people laughed about how Cano would go to the Mariners and never win, but right now M's have a better shot at making the playoffs than the Yankees.

Tonight's lineup against Seattle:

Brett Gardner LF
Derek Jeter SS
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Carlos Beltran DH
Brian McCann C
Yangervis Solarte 3B
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Brian Roberts 2B

Vidal Nuno LHP

* Jeter has been awful lately, hitting .115 (3-for-26) over the past week. Joe Girardi really needs into moving him down in the lineup because he is not helping the Yankees at all, and that's what matters to Jeter. As you can see he's batting second against tonight, but hopefully that'll change soon if he doesn't start hitting.

* Girardi told reporters before the game that Shawn Kelley is expected rejoin the Yankees tomorrow night/ Kelley has been on rehab the past week, pitching in games for Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton.

Pitching matchup preview:

After his start last night was rained out, Vidal Nuno will get the ball for the Yankees in tonight's series opener. Nuno will be trying to get the Yankees a much needed win as they kick off this west coast swing that'll also make a stop in Oakland.

Nuno is coming off of a no-decision against the Athletics in his previous start on Wednesday in the Bronx. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings, allowing six hits, two runs and striking out five.

In five career starts outside of Yankee Stadium, Nuno owns a 2.08 ERA.

The Yankees will be opposed by right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma, who would have been going up against Masahiro Tanaka tonight had last night's game not been rained out. Iwakuma, if you didn't know, spent five seasons as Tanaka's teammate in Japan.

Iwakuma missed the first month of this season with a torn finger tendon, but has gone 4-2 with a 2.66 ERA since coming off of the DL. He is coming off seven innings of shutout ball in Atlanta when he allowed six hits, no walks and seven strikeouts in a 2-0 win.

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