(Photo credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images)

A sudden power surge has helped fuel a needed winning streak for the Kansas City Royals.

However, the scheduled mound return of New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga might keep the homer-happy Royals in check.

Kansas City will try to record a fifth consecutive victory Friday night and extend the Mets' road woes.

From June 21-July 3, the Royals hit just three home runs during a 3-9 stretch. In six games since, they've gone deep 14 times, including nine in the last four. Kansas City had just 15 home runs in its first 43 games at Kauffman Stadium before hitting nine while sweeping a three-game set from Pittsburgh there this week.

While the Royals, two games below .500, rank near the bottom of the majors with 72 homers, their penchant for power has keyed a stretch of seven wins in nine games.

'I know we don't tend to hit a lot of homers (at home), but those guys can hit them out anywhere,' said Royals All-Star Kris Bubic, who started Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the Pirates, in which his team hit three home runs.

Veteran Salvador Perez has four of his team-leading 13 homers in the last four games, while struggling rookie Jac Caglianone has gone deep in two straight.

'Everybody's having fun out there,' said Caglianone, who is batting just .151 in 32 career games this season. 'We kind of know the position we're in and where we want to be going into the (All-Star) break, and there's no better way to do that than on a hot streak.'

The Royals, though, could have a difficult test in trying to keep the power on in their series opener.

Senga (7-3, 1.47 ERA) has yielded just four home runs in his 13 starts this season but hasn't pitched in the majors since June 12 because of a right hamstring strain. However, his recovery and rehab have gone well enough for him to return, presumably ahead of schedule.

'When he went down, in my head, it was more like (he'd return) after the All-Star break,' Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told the team website. 'For him to be in play for us now before we go into the All-Star break, it's huge for us. He's a big part of this team.'

Against the Royals, Senga allowed three runs and 11 hits, but no homers, over 5 2/3 innings of a 4-0 Mets loss in his only appearance against them (August 2023).

While no current Kansas City player has homered versus Senga, four players -- Maikel Garcia, Jonathan India, Kyle Isbell and Bobby Witt Jr. -- are a combined 9-for-13 against him.

Senga will try to help the Mets get back on track after they were swept in a doubleheader at Baltimore on Thursday. New York has allowed 84 runs during its current 2-10 stretch away from home. The Mets managed just four runs total in both games Thursday and have been held to two or fewer runs eight times in the last 12 on the road.

Mets stars Pete Alonso and Juan Soto are a combined 5-for-28 in the last four games but have gone 5-for-11 total against scheduled Kansas City starter Michael Wacha (4-9, 3.83 ERA).

The veteran right-hander, 5-4 with a 3.76 ERA in nine career starts against the Mets, has lost his last three starts and has allowed nine runs with six walks over nine innings of the two most recent.

--Field Level Media