Royals vs. Mariners Friday game thread

The Royals look to get back in the win column to reach .500 as they begin a six-game road trip beginning with a weekend set against the Mariners in Seattle tonight.

Brad Keller is on the hill for the Royals and he has been pretty fantastic this season. It is early, but his 1.38 ERA through two starts is fourth-best in the American League and he has a 3.02 ERA in his last 11 starts dating back to last year. He hasn’t fared well in the Pacific Northwest though - he has a 5.51 ERA and is 0-2 in three starts here in Seattle.

Whit Merrifield gets the start at DH tonight with Hunter Dozier playing right field.

Chris Flexen goes for the Mariners, and he has been pretty nifty since the Mariners picked him up after the Mets released him. He won 14 games last year with a respectable 3.61 ERA despite not missing a lot of bats.

The Mariners have their own uber-prospect who is off to a cold start in Julio Rodriguez. The 21-year-old outfielder is hitting just .136/.208/.159 and is still looking for his first career big league home run.

Game time is at 8:40 CT on Bally Sports Kansas City and on the radio on 610 Sports in Kansas City.