Kansas City @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 30, 2018 ) Kansas City 4, Seattle 6

The Seattle Mariners aim for a series sweep and a seventh straight win overall when they host the Kansas City Royals on Sunday for the finale of their three-game set. Seattle scored all of its runs on Saturday over the first three innings and went on to defeat Kansas City 6-4 for its fourth win in five home games.

Mitch Haniger went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Mariners but was upstaged by Ryon Healy, who recorded a career high-tying four hits and drove in three runs. Haniger has registered multi-hit performances in five of his last nine contests, with each of the last two being three-hit efforts. Mike Moustakas was the hitting star for the Royals, going 2-for-4 with a three-run homer as the club suffered its third loss in four games. Moustakas has notched three straight two-hit performances, going 6-for-12 with two blasts and five RBIs during the streak.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, ROOT Northwest (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Brad Keller (2-2, 2.25 ERA) vs. Mariners LH James Paxton (7-2, 3.65)

Keller is coming off his first major-league win as a starter, a triumph over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday in which he allowed two hits and two walks over seven scoreless innings. The 22-year-old rookie from Georgia has increased his innings pitched in each outing since working only three frames against Minnesota on May 30 in his first turn in the rotation. Keller made his first career appearance versus Seattle on April 11, when he gave up one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.

Paxton bounced back from a pair of rough outings on Tuesday as he registered 10 strikeouts while allowing two runs and six hits over seven innings of a victory at Baltimore. The 29-year-old Canadian worked only 7 1/3 frames over his previous two turns, surrendering 10 runs and 14 hits in a no-decision against Boston and a road loss to the New York Yankees. Paxton is 2-0 with a 2.54 ERA in five career starts against the Royals, including a no-decision at Kansas City on April 11 in which he gave up two runs and six hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mariners RHP Edwin Diaz notched his 31st save of the year on Saturday, which is the franchise record for most prior to the All-Star break.

2. Kansas City is happy to begin a new month as it finished with a 5-21 record in June.

3. Seattle is 22 games over .500 for the first time since the last game of the 2003 season.

PREDICTION: Mariners 7, Royals 3