SEATTLE (Interstat) — The Seattle Mariners, two games above .500 for the first time this season, open a three-game series Friday against the Kansas City Royals at T-Mobile Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. under cloudy skies with a temperature of 69 degrees.

Right-hander George Kirby (4-0) is slated to start for Seattle (16-16) against Kansas City right-hander Bryan Woo (1-2).

Kirby enters the contest on a three-start winning streak. In his last outing Wednesday at Minnesota, he allowed two earned runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings in a 5-3 victory. He has pitched at least 5 2/3 innings in each of his starts this season, posting a 2.79 ERA over 29 innings.

Woo will make his seventh start for the Royals (12-19). He is coming off a no-decision in his last appearance, having allowed three runs over five innings against Baltimore on April 22. Kansas City has lost three of Woo’s six starts this season.

Third baseman Maikel Garcia has been a bright spot for the Royals in an otherwise difficult stretch. He went 3-for-5 with a home run and an RBI in Kansas City’s 6-3 loss at on Thursday (Interstat) — the Royals’ fifth loss in their last seven games. Over his past 10 games, Garcia is hitting .278 with three extra-base hits.

The Mariners have won seven of their last nine games. Second baseman Cole Young drove in three runs against the Twins on Wednesday, giving Seattle an early cushion for Kirby.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projected final score is Seattle 6, Kansas City 5. Interstat’s ELO system gives Seattle a 59.80 percent probability to win. The Mariners are installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The over/under for the game is 7.

Following Friday’s opener, the teams play Saturday and Sunday at T-Mobile Park. Seattle then hosts Atlanta for three games beginning Monday. Kansas City returns home for a six-game homestand starting Monday against Cleveland.