Kansas City @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 23, 2015 ) Kansas City 0, Seattle 7

Dustin Ackley's best outing of the season lifted his average above .200, and the Seattle left fielder looks for another strong game when the Mariners host the Kansas City Royals in Wednesday's finale of a three-game series. Ackley has struggled all season before recording his first three-hit game of the campaign to help Seattle roll to a 7-0 victory over Kansas City on Tuesday.

Ackley finished a triple shy of the cycle to raise his average to .204 to support rookie left-hander Mike Montgomery, who tossed a four-hit shutout. The loss was just the third in the last nine games for Kansas City, which has been shut out in three of its last seven defeats. Shortstop Alcides Escobar had one of the Royals' four hits and is 15-for-36 during a nine-game hitting streak. Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano is showing signs of breaking out of his funk by going 10-for-31 over the last eight games to raise his average to .246.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Danny Duffy (2-3, 5.87 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Roenis Elias (4-4, 3.56)

Duffy is making his first major-league start in more than five weeks after spending time on the disabled list with biceps tendinitis. He lost three straight decisions before the injury, giving up 14 runs and walking 10 in 9 2/3 innings during the stretch. Duffy is 0-1 with a 1.86 ERA in two career starts against Seattle.

Elias matched his career best with 10 strikeouts and allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings while defeating Houston in his last turn. It was a solid bounce-back performance after he was torched for eight runs (seven earned) and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings by the Astros just five days earlier. Elias is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in two career starts against Kansas City.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mariners DH Nelson Cruz (pelvic bone) was hitless in four at-bats after leaving Monday's contest.

2. Kansas City RF Alex Rios is batting just .191 in June.

3. Seattle CF Austin Jackson is 1-for-18 with seven strikeouts over his last five games.

PREDICTION: Royals 4, Mariners 3