Last fall, the Mariners fell one win short of winning the first American League pennant in club history. They returned this spring with high expectations, bringing back first baseman Josh Naylor and trading for on-base machine Brendan Donovan. They dropped 15 of their first 25 games, but are starting to heat up, winning six of their last seven games.
Kansas City Royals (12-19) vs. Seattle Mariners (16-16) at T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
Royals: 4.06 runs scored/game (23rd in MLB), 4.77 runs allowed/game (22nd)
Mariners: 4.19 runs scored/game (21st), 3.97 runs allowed/game (5th)
Donovan has been out since April 18 with a groin injury but is expected to return to action this weekend. The former Cardinals infielder is justifying the big trade so far, hitting .304/.437/.518 with three home runs in his first 18 games with the Mariners. Cal “Big Dumper” Raleigh is not hitting home runs at the same rate as last year, when he lead the league with 60 home runs, but he is also heating up with five home runs in his last nine games.
J.P. Crawford has the fifth-best walk rate in baseball at 18.8 percent. Josh Naylor has the highest pop-up rate in baseball at 27 percent. He stole a career-high 30 bases last year, and is 4-of-6 in steal attempts this year. Luke Raley is hitting .283/.340/.630 in home games.
Bryan Woo was an All-Star for the first time last year, earning Cy Young votes after putting up a 2.94 ERA in 30 starts. He had his worst start of the year his last time out, giving up seven runs and four dingers in three innings against the Cardinals. He throws a 95 mph fastball half the time, mixing in a sinker, sweeper, slider, and occasionally a change.
Emerson Hancock has yet to make 20 starts in a season in his career, but he may be having a breakthrough this year at age 27. He tossed six no-hit innings in his first start of the year, and has yet to give up more than three runs in an outing. He is right behind Woo with the sixth-lowest walk rate in baseball.
Luis Castillo is starting to show signs of rust at age 33. He gave up seven runs in his last start with a noticeable drop in velocity, leaving questions on what to do with him when Bryce Miller returns to the rotation. Bobby Witt Jr. is just 1-for-16 (.063) against Luis Castillo in his career.
Note that Friday night’s game will air exclusively on Apple TV with Wayne Randazzo (play-by-play), Dontrelle Willis (analyst), and Heidi Watney (on-field reporter) on the call.
The Mariners have the third-best bullpen ERA at 3.31. Andrés Muñoz has the sixth-best strikeout rate in baseball. He has converted six of seven saves this year, and five of the eight runs he has given up this year came in one outing. Matt Brash has yet to give up an earned run this year, and opponents are hitting just .091 against him, but left his last outing on Wednesday with side discomfort. Jose A. Ferrer has a reverse split this year, with lefties hitting .375 against him.
The Mariners are still expected to be one of the leading contenders for a pennant this season, with a strong pitching staff, a lockdown closer, and one of the best home run hitters in baseball. The Royals need to get back on track, but they missed an opportunity to take a series in Sacramento, and it doesn’t get any easier in Seattle.
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