Seattle Mariners (38-63) at Toronto Blue Jays (51-51), 7:07 p.m.

By Sports Network | The Sports Network • Published July 25, 2008

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Ichiro Suzuki closes in on a significant milestone this evening when the Seattle Mariners open a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Suzuki enters tonight's opener just five hits shy of 3,000 for his professional career. Of course, Suzuki played his first seven years in Japan's Pacific League, where he racked up 1,278 of his 2,995 hits in professional baseball.

Seattle, meanwhile, will just try to get back on track after getting swept in a three-game set at home by the Boston Red Sox. The Mariners have now lost five straight and eight of their last 10 games.

Hoping to reverse Seattle's fortunes tonight will be righty Miguel Batista, who has bounced back and fourth between the bullpen and rotation on his way to a 4-11 ledger with a 6.89 ERA.

Batista pitched two seasons in Toronto and owns a 3-2 mark against his former team with a 1.50 ERA in seven games, five of which have been starts.

Toronto won twice on Thursday to get back to .500. The Jays defeated the Orioles, 5-1, to complete a suspended game from Wednesday, then rolled to a 7-1 triumph in the regularly scheduled game at Camden Yards.

The Jays will be starting a six-game homestand tonight and have won seven of their last eight in their building.

Heading to the hill for Toronto tonight will be lefty John Parrish, who is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA this season. Parrish did not get a decision on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays, as he allowed four runs and four hits in three innings of his team's 9-4 win.

Toronto has won all three of Parrish's starts this season.

Parrish will be making his first-ever start against the M's, but has faced them nine times in relief and is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA.

Seattle has won four of six from the Blue Jays this season, including two of three north of the border.