(Photo credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)

The scuffling Kansas City Royals are providing a good opportunity for the Seattle Mariners to continue their recent road success.

After winning the opener of a three-game set vs. the Royals, the Mariners will aim for a fifth victory in their last six road contests on Saturday afternoon.

Seattle lost eight of nine games on the road starting in early April but is 10-4 there since. On Friday, Mitch Garver's two-run homer in the seventh inning was all the offense Seattle needed, as four pitchers held the Royals to four hits in a 2-0 victory.

'That's a big win,' Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. 'We'll just continue to grind it. (Saturday) is another day and we come back swinging.'

Garver and Julio Rodriguez each recorded two hits for the Mariners, who have won three of the last four games overall. Rodriguez is batting .381 in 27 career games against the Royals.

Kansas City, meanwhile, is batting .216 while managing just 28 runs during a current 1-10 rut. That lack of offensive potency could benefit Saturday's scheduled Seattle starter, George Kirby (5-3, 3.45 ERA), as he looks to bounce back from his worst outing of 2026.

The right-hander, who has won at least 10 games in each of the past three seasons, held a 2.84 ERA entering his 10th start of the year on Sunday against San Diego. He lasted 5 2/3 innings but was charged with six runs, five coming in the sixth, of an 8-3 defeat.

It was just the third time this season the 2023 All-Star has allowed more than two runs in a start. Kirby has been strong against the Royals, going 2-0 with a 2.08 in four career starts. He's yielded just one homer and no walks in those contests.

That likely doesn't bode well for Kansas City, which has a season-high five-game home losing streak.

'We've got to get back to playing good baseball, and we know that this team can do it,' said Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who is batting .197 this season.

'We know it will come, and we've got to keep working to get there.'

With Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic sidelined by injuries, Saturday's scheduled Kansas City starter, Stephen Kolek (2-0, 4.24 ERA), has been serviceable in his three starts since being slotted into the rotation this month. The right-hander yielded four hits with a walk over 6 1/3 stellar innings of the Royals' 2-0 victory at St. Louis on Sunday to bounce back from giving up five runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox on May 12 in his previous start. Kansas City lost 6-5.

'Steve does a great job every time he pitches,' teammate Michael Massey told the Royals' official website. 'He keeps the ball on the ground a lot, so you know you're going to be busy as an infielder.'

Kolek is 0-2 with a 3.95 ERA in three career appearances vs. Seattle.

Though the Royals continue to struggle at the plate, star Bobby Witt Jr. is a career .328 hitter against the Mariners in 14 home games. He's 5-for-12 with two doubles vs. Kirby.

--Field Level Media