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Noah Cameron held the Mariners to zero earned runs over six innings on Friday, striking out eight while allowing four hits and two walks. The Royals still lost, but his outing gave him a second straight quality start and his third of the season.

Noah Cameron at Kansas City

Cameron worked through 96 pitches and missed bats often, finishing with 12 whiffs. He also allowed six hard-hit balls, a reminder that the line was clean on the scoreboard even if Seattle squared some pitches up.

The start left his season line at a 4.72 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP through nine starts, with a 2-3 record. That is the part that gives this game extra weight for Kansas City: the results have not fully caught up to the sharper work on the mound, but the last two outings have moved in the right direction.

Royals Rotation

For the Royals, Cameron’s run of consecutive quality starts is the clearest sign that his early-season shape is holding. He has now delivered three quality starts in all, and Friday was his latest answer after a stretch that needed stability from the back end of the rotation.

His next turn sends him against the Yankees in Kansas City. If he keeps missing bats at this rate, the Royals will have a better reason to trust the results will follow the process.