Mariners vs Royals: Seattle look to extend road run vs struggling Kansas City

MIAMI: The struggling Kansas City Royals will face the Seattle Mariners in the second game of their series on Saturday, with Seattle aiming to continue their strong recent road form. The Mariners have already taken the series opener and will now try for their fifth win in the last six away games. After a rough stretch earlier in the season where they lost eight of nine road games, Seattle has bounced back strongly, going 10-4 on the road since early April. On Friday, Seattle edged Kansas City 2-0 thanks to Mitch Garver’s two-run homer in the seventh inning. A solid pitching effort kept the Royals quiet, allowing just four hits as four Mariners pitchers combined for the shutout. Mariners manager Dan Wilson said his team is simply focused on grinding through games and coming back ready each day. Julio Rodríguez also contributed with two hits and continues to enjoy strong success against Kansas City. The Royals, meanwhile, are going through a tough phase. They have lost 10 of their last 11 games and are batting just .216 in that stretch, struggling badly to score runs. Their recent home form has also dipped, with a season-high losing streak at home adding to their problems. Seattle will rely on George Kirby, who is looking to bounce back after a difficult outing against San Diego where he allowed six runs. Despite that, Kirby has a strong record vs Kansas City, having allowed very little damage in past matchups. Kansas City will counter with Stephen Kolek, who has shown mixed form since joining the rotation due to injuries to key starters. He was impressive in his last outing against St. Louis but remains winless in his appearances against Seattle. Even though the Royals are struggling as a team, Bobby Witt Jr remains a bright spot. He has consistently hit well against the Mariners, especially at home, and has had success in past matchups against Kirby as well. The post Mariners vs Royals: Seattle look to extend road run vs struggling Kansas City appeared first on HUM News English.