A’s on Three-Game Slide
The Seattle Mariners go for a third straight win when they host the Oakland Athletics in the first of a four-game weekend series on Thursday night. Seattle took the final two games of its series with the Baltimore Orioles and is in fourth place in the American League West standings, a half-game behind the third-place Los Angeles Angels.
Oakland is coming off a three-game sweep on the road by the New York Yankees and is in last place in the division. These two teams have gone back and forth this season, so as you’re doing your betting online on this game, make sure you read our in-depth preview.
Let’s check the latest MLB picks, stats, MLB news injury reports, and MLB odds for Athletics vs Mariners. We’ve plenty of MLB predictions.
Athletics Need More Clutch Hitting
The Oakland Athletics have been one of the worst offenses in baseball and part of that is not coming through with runners in scoring position. In Wednesday’s loss to the New York Yankees, Oakland outhit New York 9-6 and was helped by two errors, but was outscored 5-3 in part because it was 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position, leaving nine men on base.
Outfielder Stephen Piscotty was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored on Wednesday. He’s batting .234 with two doubles, a home run, five RBIs and five runs scored in just 16 games, having just come off the injured list on Tuesday after missing nearly two months.
Designated hitter Elvis Andrus drove in the team’s third run on Wednesday and had five RBIs in the three-game series against the Yankees. Andrus is batting .228 with 18 doubles, three home runs, 16 RBIs and 26 runs scored.
Right-hander Adrian Martinez will make his second major league start on Thursday. The 25-year-old was called up from Triple-A to fill the rotation spot of Jared Koenig, who was sent down to the minors. Martinez made his only major league appearance in May, throwing 5.1 scoreless innings in a start against the Detroit Tigers, allowing just four hits while striking out three and walking none.
Mariners’ Rodriguez Continues Case for Top Rookie
The Seattle Mariners have had some good young players of late, including 2020 American League Rookie of the Year winner Kyle Lewis, and they have another good one in outfielder Julio Rodriguez. He had a home run in Wednesday’s win over the Baltimore Orioles and has been very good in June (.288, seven doubles, six home runs, 15 RBIs) after winning the AL Rookie of the Month award for May.
“I feel pretty good about the year that I’m having. I feel pretty good and the way that I’m helping the team,” Rodríguez said after Wednesday’s win. “I don’t want to say I didn’t have expectations, but I just kind of let everything flow.”
The 21-year-old is batting .272 with 15 doubles, a triple, 12 home runs, 38 RBIs and 41 runs scored.
Shortstop J.P. Crawford was 1-for-4 with a pair of RBIs in Wednesday’s win. Crawford is batting .261 with 15 doubles, a triple, five home runs, 21 RBIs and 32 runs scored.
Right-hander Logan Gilbert will be on the mound for the series opener, making his 16th start. Gilbert is 8-3 with a 2.44 ERA (ninth in baseball), striking out 89 in 88.2 innings. He’s won three of his last four starts, including a win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday in which he threw 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits, including two home runs, while striking out seven and walking two.
Athletics vs Mariners Head-To-Head
The Seattle Mariners have won four of the first six meetings with the Oakland Athletics, though Oakland’s two wins have come on the road. Seattle dominated the season series a year ago, taking 15 of 19 matchups, including seven of 10 at home.
Oakland has had success at T-Mobile Park over the past few seasons, winning at least three times for the past 12 years. Looking at the MLB lines for Thursday night’s game, that success isn’t expected to continue in the series opener, with the Mariners heavy favorites to get the win.
Athletics vs Mariners Game Information
- Game: Athletics (25-52) vs Mariners (36-41)
- Location: T-Mobile Park, Seattle
- Day/Time: Thursday, 10:10 p.m. ET
- Athletics vs Mariners LiveStream: MLB.tv
Athletics vs Mariners Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Oakland Athletics A. Martinez -R | +1½ -115 | +187 | 7½-105o | 2½-135o 2½+105u |
| Seattle Mariners L. Gilbert -R | -1½ -105 | -217 | 7½-115o | 4½+105o 4½-135u |
Athletics vs Mariners Prediction
The Oakland Athletics are hoping their young pitcher can provide another solid performance in this one, but the Seattle Mariners are playing well and that might be too much to ask. Look for Gilbert to dominate the Oakland lineup and lead the Mainers to the opening victory.
When doing your MLB betting, take Seattle to pick up the home win.
“The odds and predictions in the article are based on time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.”
