Seattle @ Kansas City preview

Seattle at Kansas City

Last Meeting ( Jul 18, 2012 ) Seattle 7, Kansas City 8

The Seattle Mariners attempt to win their first series in over a month when they take on the Kansas City Royals on Thursday afternoon in the finale of their four-game set at Kauffman Stadium. Seattle has gone 0-6-1 in series since taking two of three at home against San Francisco from June 15-17. The Mariners' last series victory on the road came from June 4-6, when they won two of three against the Los Angeles Angels.

Seattle, which has scored a total of 25 runs over the first three games of the series, rallied from a four-run deficit Wednesday to forge a 7-7 tie before losing on All-Star Billy Butler's walk-off home run leading off the bottom of the ninth inning. The win was just the second in nine contests for the Royals, who are 11 games under .500 (16-27) in their own ballpark. Kansas City is 2-4 on its 10-game homestand.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, Root Sports (Seattle), FSN (Kansas City)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (7-5, 2.92 ERA) vs. Royals LH Will Smith (1-2, 9.00)

Hernandez, who is 3-0 while allowing more than one run only once over his last six starts, is coming off a three-hit shutout against Texas on Saturday in which he struck out 12. The former American League Cy Young Award winner has yielded fewer than two runs in 11 of his 19 starts this season. Hernandez is just 3-3 with a 2.92 ERA in eight career outings against Kansas City.

Smith was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to make his fourth career start. The 23-year-old rookie did not fare well in his last outing with the Royals, surrendering seven runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings in a loss to Minnesota. Smith will be facing the Mariners for the first time.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Mariners scored just one run over the first two innings on Wednesday after recording seven and six, respectively, over the first two frames in the first two games of the series.

2. Seattle's Kyle Seager registered two more two-out RBIs, raising his major league-leading total to 33.

3. Kansas City's Lorenzo Cain has homered in back-to-back games after belting just one shot in his first 58 career contests.