The Seattle Mariners (63-54) will be trying to pick up their fourth consecutive road series win when they face the Kansas City Royals (38-81) in the second game of their four-game series on Tuesday night.
Emerson Hancock, 0-0, 1.80 ERA, will get the start for the Mariners. The Royals will counter with Jordan Lyles, 3-13, 6.13 ERA.
Seattle is 7-3 in its last 10 games against Kansas City.
**This preview was written before Monday’s game was played**
The Mariners have been on a roll over the past week and a half and they’ve won eight of their last 10 games. They are 1.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays, who are currently in the final AL Wildcard spot and will try to reduce the distance with a win over the Royals, which will give them their ninth win in their last 11 games.
Seattle is averaging 4.54 runs per game. Their .236 batting average is 25th in the league. Their .314 on base percentage is 20th, while their .401 slugging percentage is 18th.
J.P. Crawford leads Seattle with a .266 batting average. Cal Raleigh leads the team with 20 home runs, while Eugenio Suarez leads the team with 73 RBI.
Seattle’s pitching has been good, with the team giving up 4.04 runs per game. Opponents have a .232 batting average against the Mariners, which is second in the league. Their 3.68 ERA leads the league, as does their 1.16 WHIP.
In his last start, Hancock gave up two hits and one run in five inns, leading to a 6-1 win over San Diego. They will need another solid start from him if they want to get the win.