Keller Looks to Continue Dominance as Royals Begin Series vs. Mariners
After their three-game winning streak was snapped, the Kansas City Royals head out on the road to see if they can start another one.
Kansas City is coming off a three-game home set at home against the Minnesota Twins. Despite holding the Twins to a paltry four runs in those three games, a 1-0 blanking on Thursday left the Royals' struggling bats with nothing to show for against a divisional opponent. Mike Matheny's starting rotation and bullpen are showing signs of life but with that said, the offense will need to wake up — and soon.
For the next three days, the 5-6 Royals are in the Northwest as they square off against the 7-6 Seattle Mariners. After a Brad Keller-Chris Flexen matchup on Friday night, the probable matchups for Saturday and Sunday are Kris Bubic vs. Matt Brash and Carlos Hernandez vs. Robbie Ray. Seattle is a competitive club with plenty to play for this season, and they won't go down without a fight. Kansas City will have its hands full this weekend.
Here's how the Royals will line up in this evening's game:
Starting Pitchers
Kansas City: RHP Brad Keller (0-1, 1.38 ERA)
Seattle: RHP Chris Flexen (0-2, 5.23 ERA)
Kansas City Royals Starting Lineup
- Nicky Lopez (L) - 2B
- Whit Merrifield (R) - DH
- Andrew Benintendi (L) - LF
- Salvador Perez (R) - C
- Carlos Santana (S) - 1B
- Hunter Dozier (R) - RF
- Bobby Witt Jr. (R) - 3B
- Adalberto Mondesi (S) - SS
- Michael A. Taylor (R) - CF
Whit Merrifield to DH, Hunter Dozier gets first start in right field
Thursday's series finale was a notable one for the Royals' lineup, as it featured Whit Merrifield not batting leadoff for the first time since September of 2020. Merrifield was bumped down to the two-hole in favor of Nicky Lopez, which made a ton of sense considering the former's struggles in 2022. Now, Merrifield gets a day off from fielding altogether and the thriving Hunter Dozier will man right field for a night. Merrifield is currently hitting just .136 and has been in a decline at the plate for a few years, but the hope for the Royals' sake is that he can turn things around at least a bit, starting now.
Brad Keller aims for another stellar start
In two starts this season, Brad Keller has been one of the better pitchers in all of baseball. Across 13 innings, the righty has allowed just five hits and three walks while striking out 10 hitters. Keller's 0-1 record isn't indicative of his performance in the slightest, although his 1.38 ERA certainly is. Friday night marks Keller's fourth career start against the Mariners, and he'll look to keep the good times rolling behind some in-season tweaks from 2021 that are still paying dividends months later. In order for the Royals to have success in 2022, they need the good version of Keller. Thus far, he's shown up.
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Jordan Foote is the editor-in-chief of Inside the Royals, as well as the deputy editor of Arrowhead Report and a producer for Kansas City Sports Network. Jordan is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media with a minor in Sports Administration. Follow him on Twitter @footenoted.