Mariners at Athletics
The Seattle Mariners used an impressive comeback to take the opener and look to make things a bit easier on themselves Wednesday afternoon as they host the Oakland Athletics for the finale of their brief two-game series. Seattle fell behind by four runs on Tuesday before bouncing back for a 7-6 victory as Leonys Martin homered in the 10th inning.
Ben Gamel drove in two runs and Nelson Cruz plated one to raise his American League-leading RBI total to 85. Yonder Alonso went 1-for-5 in his first game since being acquired from Oakland on Sunday as the Mariners improved to 5-3 on their nine-game road trip and pulled even with Kansas City and Tampa Bay for the second wild-card spot in the AL. Khris Davis is making an effort to overtake Cruz in the RBI race as he increased his total to 79 with a run-scoring triple and a three-run homer on Tuesday. Ryon Healy also went deep during a 3-for-4 performance as the Athletics began their nine-game homestand with a loss after winning two straight to complete a 3-2 road trip.
TV: 3:35 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Yovani Gallardo (5-7, 5.35 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Jharel Cotton (5-8, 5.48)
Gallardo has pitched better since returning to the rotation after a stint in the bullpen, going 1-0 over three starts while allowing three runs or fewer each time. Prior to the stretch during which he gave up one run over 11 1/3 frames in four relief appearances, the 31-year-old Mexican had surrendered at least five runs in four of six turns. Gallardo entered the season 0-5 lifetime against Oakland but won a pair of starts earlier in the year while also working 4 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen on July 6.
Cotton has not won since June 23 in Chicago against the White Sox, going 0-1 in three starts while yielding four or more runs in each outing. The 25-year-old Virgin Islander escaped with a no-decision on the road versus the Los Angeles Angels on Friday after giving up four runs and seven hits in five innings. Cotton pitched to a no-decision last year in his first career start against Seattle before allowing two runs over six frames in a victory over the Mariners on April 22.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics OF Matt Joyce went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts on Tuesday in his first contest following a league-imposed two-game suspension for directing an anti-gay slur to a fan.
2. Seattle placed David Phelps (elbow) on the 10-day disabled list and announced fellow RHP Felix Hernandez would miss 3-to-4 weeks with bursitis in his right shoulder while also acquiring RHP Ernesto Frieri from Texas for cash considerations (reportedly $1) and assigning him to Triple-A Tacoma.
3. Oakland recalled 1B/OF Matt Olson, who batted .196 with four homers and nine RBIs in 18 games with the club earlier this season, from Triple-A Nashville.