Mariners Trying To Move Up AL West Standings
The Seattle Mariners go for a second straight win when they face the visiting Oakland Athletics on Sunday in the last of a four-game weekend series between the AL West rivals. Seattle came from behind to win on Saturday, moving into third place, one game behind the second-place Texas Rangers. Oakland has lost 9 of its last 12 contests and is in last place in the AL West, 11 games behind the fourth-place Los Angeles Angels. This has been a competitive series, so before you do any betting online on the finale, check out our in-depth preview of the contest.
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.
Bullpen Failure Costs Athletics Win
The Oakland Athletics were on their way to a second straight win on Saturday, leading 1-0 heading to the bottom of the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners, but Seattle scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings to pull out a 2-1 victory. The Mariners’ winning rally in the ninth inning was helped by a walk and an error, costing Oakland dearly.
Right-hander Frankie Montas will try to get Oakland back on track. Montas is 3-6 with a 3.20 ERA, striking out 99 in 95⅔ innings. He’s hoping for a repeat of his last start against the Seattle Mariners on June 23, when he threw eight scoreless innings, allowing only two hits while striking out eight and walking two.
Montas has been getting little run support of late, with the Athletics scoring just a single run in each of his last three starts. Oakland is 29th in the majors with 254 runs and last in baseball with a team batting average of .213.
Catcher Sean Murphy had the team’s lone RBI in Saturday’s loss, going 1-for-3 at the plate. Murphy is batting .226 with 17 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, 33 RBIs and 29 runs scored.
Mariners Continue To Never Say Die
For much of Saturday’s contest with the Oakland Athletics, the Seattle Mariners were having their troubles coming through with the clutch hit, getting shut out for seven innings after scoring just one run in the previous contest. But when they needed to come through, the Mariners hitters did, tying the game in the eighth inning on Justin Upton’s pinch-hit home run and winning it in the ninth on Abraham Toro’s bases-loaded single.
“It’s been a lot of talk lately how we leave guys on base, but I mean, I think we are going to turn it around,” Toro said after Saturday’s win. “We have a really good lineup. It’s all about, the pressure is on the pitcher, not on us in those kinds of situations, and we had to capitalize on that.”
Toro was 2-for-4 in the game but is batting just .183. The 25-year-old has nine doubles, a triple, seven home runs, 21 RBIs and 24 runs scored.
First baseman Carlos Santana also went 2-for-4 at the plate, his best game since coming to the Mariners in a trade with the Kansas City Royals earlier in the week. Santana is batting .214 this season, hitting 10 doubles and four home runs, driving in 21 runs and scoring 18 times in 57 games between the two clubs.
Left-hander Robbie Ray will get the start for the Mariners. Ray is 6-6 with a 3.78 ERA in 16 starts, striking out 105 (tied for sixth in the majors) in 97⅔ innings. Ray has been outstanding in his last four starts – including a June 23 start against the Athletics – allowing a total of two earned runs over a combined 27 innings, recording 28 strikeouts and walking seven.
Athletics vs Mariners Head-To-Head
The Seattle Mariners look to be on their way to a second straight season series victory over the Oakland Athletics, having taken six of the first nine contests between the two clubs. Seattle won the 2021 series easily, winning 15 of the 19 matchups.
Oakland seems to play better against the Mariners when they are in Seattle, having split the first six contests at T-Mobile Park this season and winning three there in 2021 while earning just one win at home since the start of last season. The MLB lines for Sunday don’t see the Athletics adding to that win total, however, as the Mariners are favored to close the series with a victory.
Athletics vs Mariners Game Information
- Game: Oakland Athletics (26-54) at Seattle Mariners (38-42)
- Location: T-Mobile Park
- Day/Time: Sunday, July 3, 4:10 p.m. ET
- Athletics vs Mariners Live stream: MLB.tv
Athletics vs Mariners Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Oakland Athletics F. Montas -R | +1½ -170 | +130 | 6½ -120o | 2½ -140o
2½ +110u |
| Seattle Mariners R. Ray -L | -1½ +150 | -145 | 6½ Evu | 3½ -105o
3½ -125u |
Athletics vs Mariners Prediction
The Oakland Athletics have an anemic offense, and they are taking on one of the hotter pitchers in the game in Ray. That’s bad news for Oakland and good news for the Seattle Mariners, who should have enough to pull out another victory.
When making your MLB picks, take Seattle to get the win at home.
