Royals take on the Mariners in first of 3-game series

The Kansas City Royals begin a three-game series at home against the Seattle Mariners on Friday.

Seattle Mariners (82-67, second in the AL West) vs. Kansas City Royals (61-88, fourth in the AL Central)

Kansas City, Missouri; Friday, 8:10 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Mariners: Marco Gonzales (10-14, 4.01 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 92 strikeouts); Royals: Brady Singer (9-4, 3.07 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 136 strikeouts)

BOTTOM LINE: The Kansas City Royals begin a three-game series at home against the Seattle Mariners on Friday.

Kansas City is 61-88 overall and 37-41 at home. The Royals have the seventh-ranked team batting average in the AL at .243.

Seattle has an 82-67 record overall and a 43-35 record in road games. The Mariners have the eighth-ranked team slugging percentage in the AL at .389.

Friday's game is the fourth meeting between these teams this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Bobby Witt Jr. has a .254 batting average to rank second on the Royals, and has 29 doubles, six triples and 20 home runs. Salvador Perez is 14-for-39 with two home runs and seven RBI over the past 10 games.

Julio Rodriguez has 23 doubles, three triples and 27 home runs for the Mariners. Ty France is 8-for-36 with a double, a triple, two home runs and seven RBI over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Royals: 5-5, .249 batting average, 3.60 ERA, outscored opponents by one run

Mariners: 4-6, .204 batting average, 3.81 ERA, outscored opponents by six runs

INJURIES: Royals: Josh Staumont: 15-Day IL (biceps), Taylor Clarke: 15-Day IL (oblique), Angel Zerpa: 60-Day IL (knee), Jake Brentz: 60-Day IL (flexor), Adalberto Mondesi: 60-Day IL (knee), Tyler Zuber: 60-Day IL (shoulder)

Mariners: Julio Rodriguez: day-to-day (back), Eugenio Suarez: 10-Day IL (finger), Ryan Borucki: 15-Day IL (forearm), Tom Murphy: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Casey Sadler: 60-Day IL (shoulder)