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RHP Hernandez starts Friday for Mariners

May 25, 2007 - 3:01 PM Seattle (21-22) at Kansas City (19-29) 8:10 pm EDT

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- Felix Hernandez seeks to get the Seattle Mariners to .500 when they open a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Friday.

Hernandez (2-2, 2.77 ERA) lasted only five innings, surrendering two runs with nine strikeouts during Sunday's 2-1 loss to San Diego. The righthander has pitched just 8 2/3 frames since spending nearly a month on the disabled list with a strained right elbow.

In his lone career start against the Royals, the 21-year-old Hernandez yielded one run over eight innings in an August 15, 2005 win.

Kansas City counters with former Mariner Gil Meche (3-2, 2.44). The righthander gave up three runs and 10 hits in his first outing against his former club on April 28, an 8-3 loss in Seattle.

Meche, who inked a five-year, $55 million deal with the Royals in the offseason after spending six years in Seattle, did not fare so well in his last outing, allowing five runs and eight hits in five frames in a 6-4 setback at Colorado.

The Royals have eight of their last 11 games, but are just 9-15 at home this campaign - worst in the American League.

Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki looks to extend his hitting streak to 18 games and is batting .434 (33-for-76) over this stretch.