The Royals had a day off as they traveled to the Pacific Northwest for their first-ever matchup with the expansion Seattle Mariners. The teams were set for a four-game series, with a doubleheader scheduled for Sunday.

There was a tragic bit of off-field news. Following the April 13 game against the Yankees in Kansas City, 21-year-old Stanley Rupniewski suffered a skull fracture and brain damage in an altercation outside the stadium. He finally succumbed to his injuries on Thursday night. The Royals, following several fights and incidents of fans running on the field in the home opener, had already announced they would be adding to the stadium security force, and would be banning all liquid containers.

Today’s birthdays: Kip Wells (1977), Jeff Keppinger (1980)