Feel free to figure this one out: Seattle is 2-3 against Kansas City this season - and hasn't even faced Zack Grienke yet!

Without Ichiro Suzuki for a fourth game in a row, the Mariners will keep Franklin Gutierrez as the leadoff hitter. He's batting an even .500 the past three nights (6-for-12) and he's drawn two walks.

Typically, however, that's led to two runs for Seattle.

As the Mariners scratch for runs, Jack Wilson has gone 1-for-12 this week, Bill Hall and Michael Saunders have gone 2-for-10 and Kenji Johjima 0-for-7.

They're all in the lineup tonight. It's Doug Fister vs. Kyle Davies.

Game of inches

The Mariners just did miss turning a double play behind Fister in the second inning, but miss it they did - and the next batter burned them.

With Mark Teahen aboard, Brayan Pena hooked a pitch down the right field line that literally brushed the wall as it cleared at the 326-foot sign.

They all count, but this was a galling inning for Fister.

In the second: Royals 2, Mariners 0

Is it the pitching?

Against the Mariners, one never knows.

The American League is batting .280 against Davies this season, but in their first three innings, Seattle has one hit - a single on which Gutierrez was thrown out trying for two bases.

Kansas City has two hits, and two runs.

The face is familiar

Yuniesky Betancourt homered on a pitch Fister would love to take back - an 88 mph fastball over the plate and up.

Yuni didn't miss it.

That's three hits for Kansas City. And three runs.

In the fifth: Royals 3, Mariners 0

Shut out no more

Russell Branyan blooped a single and got to second base on a wild pitch. Kenji Johjima singled off the bag at third, getting Branyan home.

Big inning?

With two outs, Saunders - aboard on a fielders choice - stole second base, and Gutierrez singled him in for his 53rd RBI.
Gutierrez took second base on the throw home, but he was left there.

After five: Royals 3, Mariners 2

The long ball

Two outs into the sixth, with a man on first, Fister left another pitch up and Alberto Callaspo turned it into his eighth home run of the season.

All five Kansas City runs have scored via the long all. When you can't get your pitches down, they tend to disappear.

In the sixth: Royals 5, Mariners 2

Turning point?

A walk and Bill Hall's one-out double set the scene for Russell, who then popped up to third base. Johjima struck out and the chance was gone.

After six: Royals 5, Mariners 2

A two-out walk to No. 9 hitter Josh Anderson set up a two-run home run for leadoff hitter David DeJesus - his 11th.

In the seventh: Royals 7, Mariners 2

Johjima singled and Jack Wilson homered, cutting the Royals lead in home runs tonight to 4-1.

It's a final: Royals 8, Mariners 4

Not in the lineup, for the fourth day in a row.

Ichiro can swing, can throw and can jog, but the one thing he hasn't done yet is run full out - a huge part of his game.

Until he can, both he and the Mariners agree he shouldn't play.

"Ichiro's heart says get in there, but he knows if he tears something, he could be done for the season," manager Don Wakamatsu said. "There's still no time table for his return."

Franklin Gutierrez will lead off in Ichiro's spot, Bill Hall will play right field and Ichiro will be an active cheerleader.

Here's the lineup:
Gutierrez CF
Jack Hannahan 3B
Jose Lopez 2B
Ken Griffey Jr. DH
Hall RF
Russell Branyan 1B
Kenji Johjima C
Jack Wilson SS
Michael Saunders LF
Doug Fister, RHP

At the moment, he's stretched out in right field - lying on his back, talking to manager Don Wakamatsu and trainer Rick Griffin.

They're standing up.

The conversation undoubtedly is about whether Ichiro is ready to play after missing three games with a strained calf.

Ichiro wants to play - he has said he's ready to play and was held by as a precaution against hurtnig himself more.

Now, Ichiro trots like a stallion into center field, walks back slowly. Stretches again and has another convesation with Griffin.

Clearly, he wants in tonight. It's not clear what Griffin or Wakamatsu think.

Well, he's not really tipping his hand on it. Asking something like that to him will only lead to him changing the subject quite quickly. But there are some rumors that he would like to return for one more season. That possibility brings us to a whole other debate concerning his production.

While Griffey hasn't openly said anything about it to us, he does broach the subject a little bit in this interview with C. Trent Rosecrans.

CTR: I mean, you've said you feel like you're starting something. Do you want to stick around to see it out?
KG: Yeah. But, like I said, I've never forced myself on anyone. If they tell me they don't want me anymore, that's fine. I've had a chance to do something I've wanted to do, and that's come back to Seattle. I haven't wavered on that at all. I've gotten a chance to do it and I'm thankful to the organization for giving me a chance to do it. They could have said no. It wasn't owed to me to come here. It wasn't owed to me to have Atlanta offer me a contract. They thought enough of me to think I can help the organization and reached out to me - that means a lot.

The same thing happened in Seattle. A couple of people said, "Ken would be a good fit here."
That's how I look at it. I don't look at it as 28 other teams didn't want me, because I don't know their situations. Sometimes it's just not a fit in other organizations. I was able to come here and help as much as I could. We'll see how it is at the end of the year and we'll go from there. I'm having the time of my life.

The same thing happened in Seattle. A couple of people said, "Ken would be a good fit here."
That's how I look at it. I don't look at it as 28 other teams didn't want me, because I don't know their situations. Sometimes it's just not a fit in other organizations. I was able to come here and help as much as I could. We'll see how it is at the end of the year and we'll go from there. I'm having the time of my life.