(Sports Network) - Justin Verlander tries to stretch his unbeaten streak to five starts this evening, when the Detroit Tigers begin a four-game series with the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

With a 4-9 record and a 4.42 earned run average, Verlander has been a huge disappointment all season, but like his team he has started to break out of his season-long funk. The 25-year-old righty is 2-0 over his last four starts, while pitching to a 2.42 ERA.

On Saturday against the Colorado Rockies, Verlander did not receive a decision but allowed just two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings of his team's 7-6 win.

Verlander lost to the Mariners earlier this season, but is 5-1 lifetime against them with a 2.90 ERA in six starts.

Detroit enters this series on a sour note after dropping the final two games of their three-game series with the Minnesota Twins, including a 7-0 setback in Wednesday's finale at the Metrodome.

Placido Polanco had two hits for the Tigers, who had won six straight before their two-game slide.

Eddie Bonine (2-1) took the loss, his first major-league setback, and was charged with seven hits and five runs -- two earned -- in only 2 2/3 innings.

Seattle, meanwhile, stayed hot on Wednesday, as Miguel Cairo doubled twice and drove in three runs to lift the Mariners past the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-2, in the rubber match of a three-game set from Safeco Field.

Ichiro Suzuki finished 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored for Seattle, which has won seven of its last nine outings.

Jarrod Washburn (4-7) gave up two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in six innings for Seattle. The lefty has won back-to-back starts for the first time this season. Brandon Morrow tossed a perfect ninth to notch his fifth save of the year.

Heading to the hill tonight for the Mariners will be right-hander Carlos Silva, who comes into tonight's tilt on the heels of his first win in more than two months. Silva snapped a seven-start skid and won for the first time in 13 starts Saturday against the San Diego Padres. He allowed two runs and eight hits in seven innings to run his record to 4-9 on the year and lower his ERA to 5.69.

Silva was hammered by Detroit for seven runs and seven hits in just two-thirds of an inning back on May 30 and is 5-5 with a 5.78 ERA in 14 career games against them, 13 of which have been starts.

On the injury front for the Tigers, first baseman Miguel Cabrera has missed the last two games due to a left hip flexor problem. However, he should be in the lineup this evening.

Detroit has won five of six from the Mariners this season and eight of 10 in this series dating back to last year.