The Seattle Mariners look to extend their two-game winning streak when they face the Oakland Athletics in the second of a key four-game series between American League West rivals on Tuesday night. The contest is scheduled for a 9:40 p.m. ET first pitch at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland.
Seattle took the series opener 4-2 on Monday night, improving to 81-69. The Mariners are in third place in the AL West, trailing the second-place Athletics by one game. Oakland is two games back and Seattle is three behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the race for the second Wild Card spot in the American League.
The Athletics had a five-game winning streak snapped with Monday’s loss, dropping to 82-68. Oakland is in second place in the AL West, trailing the first-place Houston Astros by seven games.
The MLB lines for this contest have the Athletics with a moneyline of -132, while the Mariners are listed at +122 if you’re betting online. The over/under for the game has been set at 8½ runs.
Big Hitter
The Mariners’ offensive effort in Monday’s win was powered by third baseman Kyle Seager, who went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Seager leads Seattle with 34 home runs and 99 RBIs, though he had only RBI against the Athletics prior to Monday night.
“We all want to play for something bigger than ourselves, and me especially,” Seager said after Monday’s win about the Mariners being in the playoff chase. “These are uncharted waters that I haven’t been able to experience very often, so I’m definitely soaking it up.”
Outfielder Mitch Haniger had a pair of doubles and a run scored in the win. Haniger is batting .304 with seven doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs against Oakland this season.
Left-hander Marco Gonzales will be on the mound for the Mariners on Tuesday night. Gonzales is 8-5 with a 4.05 ERA after winning his last seven decisions.
Gonzales is 2-0 with a 4.24 ERA in three starts this month. In three starts against the Athletics, Gonzales is 1-0 with a 3.45 ERA, with the one win coming on July 25.
Needing Better
The Athletics will have right-hander Paul Blackburn getting the start. Blackburn is 1-2 with a 4.94 ERA in six starts and is coming off his first win.
The 27-year-old picked up the win against Kansas City on Thursday, going five innings and allowing two runs on six hits, including a home run, in a 7-2 Oakland victory. Blackburn is 1-1 in three September starts with a 7.94 ERA.
Outfielder Starling Marte had an RBI single in Monday’s loss. In 46 games with the Athletics since being acquired from the Miami Marlins, Marte is batting .318 with 12 doubles, four home runs and 22 RBIs.
First baseman Matt Olson was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts on Monday, but he’s batting .306 with three doubles, five home runs and 11 RBIs in 49 at-bats against Seattle this season. Olson leads the Athletics in batting average (.274), home runs (36) and RBIs (103).
Oakland Gets Win
This game could have a bit more offense than the series opener, with Oakland having seen Gonzales quite a bit this season. The Athletics should be able to even this series up with a home victory on Tuesday night.
When making your MLB picks, take Oakland to win at home.
