Kansas City @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( May 9, 2014 ) Kansas City 6, Seattle 1

The Kansas City Royals held a single’s convention while evening the series with Seattle and attempt to build on a solid effort when they visit the Mariners on Saturday. Kansas City racked up 16 hits – all singles – in a 6-1 win on Friday in which only one of its runs came across on a hit. Seattle’s bats have been cold with just two runs and 10 hits over the last three games, and the slumping Mariners face Royals phenom Yordano Ventura in the third contest of the four-game set.

Ventura has been regularly lighting up the radar gun at around 100 mph – his high clocking is 102.9 – but has also been paralyzing hitters with breaking pitches. “He’s getting strikeouts because he’s got a good fastball,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost told reporters of Ventura, who has 41 strikeouts in 36 innings. “He’s also got three above-average pitches with his changeup and curveball, so all three pitches set up all three pitches. You can’t sit on one pitch with him.”

TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Yordano Ventura (2-1, 2.00 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Chris Young (2-0, 3.03)

Ventura struck out a career-high 10 in his last outing but received a no-decision against the San Diego Padres. He gave up three runs – his second highest amount of the season – and five hits before exiting. Ventura struck out six and allowed one run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings against Seattle last September in his second major-league outing.

Young has recorded back-to-back victories, allowing three earned runs and six hits in 11 2/3 innings during the stretch. He has allowed four or fewer hits in four of his five starts after landing a rotation spot due to Seattle’s injury issues. Young received a no-decision in his lone career outing against the Royals in 2005 when he gave up three runs (one earned) and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings while pitching for the Texas Rangers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals 1B Eric Hosmer is 5-for-7 in the series and 12-of-22 during the first five contests of a seven-game road trip.

2. Mariners 3B Kyle Seager (illness) sat out Friday’s game and the club hopes to have him back for Saturday’s tilt.

3. Kansas City had been blanked in three straight games in Seattle prior to Friday’s victory.

PREDICTION: Mariners 2, Royals 1