Brad Keller, Royals Look To Right the Ship Against Mariners

On the heels of back-to-back losses, the Kansas City Royals will look to begin a new winning streak on Thursday.

After winning seven out of eight games in a row, the Kansas City Royals dropped the final two games of their series against the Houston Astros and now find themselves battling a losing streak. 

The team is in Seattle tonight for the first of a four-game series against the Mariners. The Royals, holding a 56-70 record, will conclude their 10-game road trip in a few days and head back to Kansas City for a slate of contests with the Cleveland Indians. 

Seattle, 69-58, is currently two-and-a-half games back of the Boston Red Sox for a wild-card spot in the American League playoffs. With the season slowly winding down, they'll be playing with plenty of motivation moving forward. The Royals will be tested. 

Here's how the Royals will take the field as they look to start things off on a positive note. 

Starting Pitchers

Kansas City: RHP Brad Keller (8-12, 5.43 ERA)
Seattle: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (7-7, 4.22 ERA)

Kansas City Royals Starting Lineup

1. Whit Merrifield (R) - 2B
2. Nicky Lopez (L) - SS
3. Salvador Perez (R) - C
4. Hunter Dozier (R) - 1B
5. Andrew Benintendi (L) - LF
6. Michael A. Taylor (R) - CF
7. Hanser Alberto (R) - DH
8. Ryan O'Hearn (L) - RF
9. Emmanuel Rivera (R) - 3B

Keller Looking to Continue Momentum

While Brad Keller may be just 2-4 decision-wise in his past eight starts, he's been playing much better than he was earlier this season. During that span, the righty's ERA is 3.35 and he's recorded 50 strikeouts in 48.1 innings of ball. Keller's .239 batting average allowed in those starts bodes well for him moving forward, as he'll look to keep things rolling against a scrappy Mariners lineup. 

Merrifield Staying Hot?

It's been an interesting season for one Whit Merrifield, as his power numbers across the board are down (more on that below). With that said, he's coming off a game in which he hit a clutch grand slam. The Royals weren't able to hold on and defeat the Astros, but they'll need Merrifield's best in order to keep winning games down the stretch. 

Injury Updates

First baseman Carlos Santana continues to nurse a hip flexor strain suffered a few days ago. In other news, on Thursday afternoon, right-handed reliever Josh Staumont was placed on the injured list without a reason being provided by the club. Consequently, Scott Blewett was recalled from the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers.

Follow Along

First Pitch: 9:10 p.m. CST
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City
Radio: 610 Sports Radio

Read More: Even With Less Power, Whit Merrifield Still Has Plenty of Strengths