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Mariners-Royals Preview

Apr 28, 2010 - 6:16 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Seattle (10-11) at Kansas City (8-12), 2:10 p.m. EDT

While the Seattle Mariners' prized offseason acquisition is scheduled to make his season debut when the team returns home, they'd like to get a solid effort from Ryan Rowland-Smith to cap off their road trip.

Rowland-Smith takes the mound against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, when the Mariners try to win their first road series this season.

Acquired from Philadelphia in a three-team deal in the offseason, Cliff Lee was expected to immediately pair with right-hander Felix Hernandez as one of the majors' most feared pitching combinations. Lee, though, has yet to make his Mariners debut after suffering a lower abdominal strain in spring training.

The left-hander threw a 50-pitch bullpen session Tuesday and is expected to start Friday against Texas.

But before the Mariners (10-11) open their nine-game homestand with the 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner of the mound, Rowland-Smith (0-1, 4.63 ERA) will try to help the team close out its six-game trip with its first series win on the road since Sept. 12-14.

Seattle snapped a four-game slide and a five-game skid on the road with Tuesday's 3-2 victory. The Mariners' three-run eighth, when they batted around, matched their run total from the past two games.

That kind of run support could benefit Rowland-Smith, who allowed a season-high five runs and a career-high three homers in Friday's 7-6 loss at the Chicago White Sox.

"I thought Rowland-Smith early, giving up the three runs in the first three innings, it was pitching with emotions," manager Don Wakamatsu told the Mariners' official website.

Rowland-Smith is 0-1 with a 4.00 ERA in three starts versus Kansas City. He'll face a Royals team that went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position Tuesday.

"Zack (Greinke) deserved much better," said manager Trey Hillman of the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. "He deserved better offensive support."

Coming off another "embarrassing" outing, Gil Meche (0-2, 11.37) could use a better effort in the series finale.

The veteran right-hander, who went 55-44 with a 4.65 ERA for Seattle from 1999-2006, lasted just 3 1/3 innings in Friday's 8-3 loss to Minnesota. Meche walked a season-high five and allowed four runs and four hits. It was the second time in three starts that he has not made it out of the fourth inning.

"It's embarrassing to pitch that way when I know what I'm capable of," said Meche, who is 2-2 with a 5.77 ERA in six starts versus Seattle. "I'm getting tired about talking about the same thing over and over. You've got to turn the page. You've got to figure it out and do your job. I'm not doing my job."

Neither is the Royals' bullpen, which gave up three more runs Tuesday and has an AL-worst 6.61 ERA.

Ichiro Suzuki, who is 9 for 14 with a homer lifetime against Meche, goes for his eighth consecutive multihit game at Kauffman Stadium, which would set a record for an opposing player.

David DeJesus went 2 for 5 on Tuesday and is batting .409 during the Royals' homestand that ends Wednesday.

Kansas City has won 12 of 17 at home versus Seattle.