The Milwaukee Brewers return to Seattle for the first time in 16 years on Friday, as they begin a three-game interleague series versus the Mariners at Safeco Field.
Milwaukee hasn't visited the Emerald City since Aug. 11-12, 1997. Of course, the Brewers joined the National League the following year and the last six meetings between the two have taken place in Milwaukee.
"This interleague stuff, it's really nice," said Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who could return from the disabled list at some point this weekend. "There are still some places in the American League I haven't been to."
Milwaukee heads into this series on the heels of splitting a four-game set with the San Francisco Giants that culminated with a 4-1 loss on Thursday.
Donovan Hand (0-4) was tagged in defeat for seven hits and four runs, fanning four and walking as many in just five frames for the Brewers, who have dropped five of their last eight.
Getting the call for the Brewers on Friday will be righty Kyle Lohse, who is 7-7 with a 3.23 ERA. Lohse did not get a decision on Sunday against Washington, as the Nationals reached him for three runs (2 earned) and five hits in five innings. He had tossed six scoreless innings in a no-decision in his previous start.
"Not every day is going to be easy, you're not going to get every pitch," said Lohse, who's lost only once since May 30. "You've just got to go out there and battle and give what you can to keep the team in the game. You keep it close long enough and give these guys a chance, some days it works out."
Lohse has faced the Mariners 10 times and is 2-5 with a 4.45 ERA.
Seattle, meanwhile, salvaged the finale of its three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, rallying for a 9-7 win. The Mariners scored six times in the fifth inning of that one to post their largest comeback win since April 11, 2011.
"We got kind of shut down the last couple games, but overall, we've been swinging the bats really well one through nine," outfielder Michael Saunders said.
Hoping to keep the M's in the win column on Friday will be lefty Joe Saunders, who has won five of his last seven starts. Saunders beat the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, holding them to a pair of runs in six innings to run his record to 10-10 on the year to go along with a 4.58 ERA.
Saunders is 0-1 in two starts versus the Brewers with a 5.68 ERA.
Milwaukee has won four of its last six matchups with the Mariners.
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