Seattle Meriners vs Kansas City Royals mlb live streaming online coverage telecast audio video feed internet tv webcast espn 360 gamecast radio commentary april 16, 2011. Game Review: Ichiro Suzuki has set a record with 10 straight multihit games at Kauffman Stadium, but the rest of the Seattle Mariners haven't done much to help him against the Kansas City Royals in this series.
Suzuki broke the Kauffman Stadium record set by Hall of Famer George Brett 32 years ago with two more hits in Friday's 6-5 loss. Suzuki is 4 for 9 in the series, and 20 for 43 during a 10-game run that is part of his 16-game hitting streak in Kansas City.
The veteran outfielder's .242 average in his first four seasons at Kauffman Stadium was his lowest in any AL park. His .449 average since is his highest.
1:10 PM ET, April 16, 2011
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Pitching Matchup
Seattle v Kansas City
Felix Hernandez
1-1, 4.50 ERA
Last appearance:
4/11 vs TOR
6.0 IP, 7 ER
Dec = ND
Sean O'Sullivan
0-1, 11.25 ERA
Last appearance:
4/06 vs CHW
2.0 IP, 3 ER
Dec = Loss
Gameday Lineups
NO. Seattle Kansas City
1. I. Suzuki, RF J. Dyson, CF
2. C. Figgins, 3B C. Getz, 2B
3. R. Langerhans, CF A. Gordon, LF
4. J. Cust, DH B. Butler, DH
5. J. Smoak, 1B K. Ka'aihue, 1B
6. L. Rodriguez, 2B M. Cabrera, RF
7. M. Saunders, LF M. Aviles, 3B
8. C. Gimenez, C M. Treanor, C
9. B. Ryan, SS A. Escobar, SS
"This is not a bad ballpark and not an especially good ballpark," Suzuki said through an interpreter. "It's just normal. A standard park, just like the other parks we play in. I don't feel any different here."
The superstar leadoff hitter's success has not mattered for Seattle (4-10) since the rest of the lineup is 7 for 54 in the series. Chone Figgins is the only other Mariner with a hit in both games.
Milton Bradley is 0 for 6 in the series and Miguel Olivo has gone 0 for 8 to stretch his hitless run to 20 at-bats with 11 strikeouts.
"We've still got to do a much better job with our at-bats," manager Eric Wedge said. "We're in a stretch right now, with our hitting, where it seems like every time we hit a ball hard, it's at somebody, or if we hit a ground ball it's at somebody. We're not finding too many holes right now."
Royals starter Bruce Chen pitched a rain-shortened, eight-inning complete game in Thursday's 5-1 victory while Luke Hochevar allowed one run in seven innings Friday.
Those efforts could be tough to duplicate for O'Sullivan (0-1, 11.25 ERA), who is getting his first start of the season for Kansas City after allowing a total of five runs in two poor appearances out of the bullpen.
The right-hander is starting even though he was beaten out by Vin Mazzaro in the spring for the No. 5 slot in the rotation. Mazzaro began the season in Triple-A Omaha since the Royals didn't need a fifth starter until now, and had this start taken away after he walked seven batters over 2 1/3 innings Monday in the minors.
O'Sullivan is 7-8 with a 6.08 ERA in 24 career starts. He has never faced Seattle.
Kansas City (9-4) has backed its first two starters in this series with some timely hitting, going 7 for 13 with runners in scoring position. Jeff Francouer had three hits including a homer and Billy Butler added three hits Friday.
Hernandez (1-1, 4.50) is looking to bounce back after giving up seven runs over six innings Sunday in an 8-7 victory over Toronto. He exited with the Mariners trailing 7-0.
The right-hander is 3-2 with a 2.85 ERA in seven career starts against the Royals, never allowing more than three runs in any of them. However, Seattle has given him no support in losses in his last two starts at Kauffman Stadium.
MarinersThe Royals hope their run of outstanding starting pitching continues in the third of this four-game set, when they give Sean O'Sullivan his first start of the season Saturday against Seattle ace Felix Hernandez.
(4-10, 2-6 away)
Royals
(9-4, 6-2 home)
Suzuki broke the Kauffman Stadium record set by Hall of Famer George Brett 32 years ago with two more hits in Friday's 6-5 loss. Suzuki is 4 for 9 in the series, and 20 for 43 during a 10-game run that is part of his 16-game hitting streak in Kansas City.
The veteran outfielder's .242 average in his first four seasons at Kauffman Stadium was his lowest in any AL park. His .449 average since is his highest.
1:10 PM ET, April 16, 2011
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Seattle v Kansas City
Felix Hernandez
1-1, 4.50 ERA
Last appearance:
4/11 vs TOR
6.0 IP, 7 ER
Dec = ND
Sean O'Sullivan
0-1, 11.25 ERA
Last appearance:
4/06 vs CHW
2.0 IP, 3 ER
Dec = Loss
Gameday Lineups
NO. Seattle Kansas City
1. I. Suzuki, RF J. Dyson, CF
2. C. Figgins, 3B C. Getz, 2B
3. R. Langerhans, CF A. Gordon, LF
4. J. Cust, DH B. Butler, DH
5. J. Smoak, 1B K. Ka'aihue, 1B
6. L. Rodriguez, 2B M. Cabrera, RF
7. M. Saunders, LF M. Aviles, 3B
8. C. Gimenez, C M. Treanor, C
9. B. Ryan, SS A. Escobar, SS
"This is not a bad ballpark and not an especially good ballpark," Suzuki said through an interpreter. "It's just normal. A standard park, just like the other parks we play in. I don't feel any different here."
The superstar leadoff hitter's success has not mattered for Seattle (4-10) since the rest of the lineup is 7 for 54 in the series. Chone Figgins is the only other Mariner with a hit in both games.
Milton Bradley is 0 for 6 in the series and Miguel Olivo has gone 0 for 8 to stretch his hitless run to 20 at-bats with 11 strikeouts.
"We've still got to do a much better job with our at-bats," manager Eric Wedge said. "We're in a stretch right now, with our hitting, where it seems like every time we hit a ball hard, it's at somebody, or if we hit a ground ball it's at somebody. We're not finding too many holes right now."
Royals starter Bruce Chen pitched a rain-shortened, eight-inning complete game in Thursday's 5-1 victory while Luke Hochevar allowed one run in seven innings Friday.
Those efforts could be tough to duplicate for O'Sullivan (0-1, 11.25 ERA), who is getting his first start of the season for Kansas City after allowing a total of five runs in two poor appearances out of the bullpen.
The right-hander is starting even though he was beaten out by Vin Mazzaro in the spring for the No. 5 slot in the rotation. Mazzaro began the season in Triple-A Omaha since the Royals didn't need a fifth starter until now, and had this start taken away after he walked seven batters over 2 1/3 innings Monday in the minors.
O'Sullivan is 7-8 with a 6.08 ERA in 24 career starts. He has never faced Seattle.
Kansas City (9-4) has backed its first two starters in this series with some timely hitting, going 7 for 13 with runners in scoring position. Jeff Francouer had three hits including a homer and Billy Butler added three hits Friday.
Hernandez (1-1, 4.50) is looking to bounce back after giving up seven runs over six innings Sunday in an 8-7 victory over Toronto. He exited with the Mariners trailing 7-0.
The right-hander is 3-2 with a 2.85 ERA in seven career starts against the Royals, never allowing more than three runs in any of them. However, Seattle has given him no support in losses in his last two starts at Kauffman Stadium.
