Mariners v. Royals series preview: Four meaningful games

Game One – Thursday –  First Pitch: 7:15 PM CT

Yovani Gallardo starts game one, and as much as that may make M’s fans cringe, in his two starts since returning from the bullpen, he is 1-0 with an ERA of 3.38. That number would be even lower had Tony Zych not thrown back-to-back walks to send one of the runners credited to Gallardo across the plate.

Opposing the Mariners is one of the Royals recent acquisitions, Trevor Cahill. His first as a Royal is likely one he would like to forget. He surrendered five runs in just four innings of work against the Boston Red Sox. If the Mariners bats can take advantage of a favorable matchup, Seattle can start this high-stakes series on a positive note.