Athletics at Mariners
The Seattle Mariners aim for their fifth consecutive victory and a three-game sweep when they host the Oakland Athletics on Sunday for the finale of their series. Seattle outlasted Oakland 10-8 on Saturday as six players recorded multi-hit performances during a 17-hit attack.
Jean Segura and Mitch Haniger each homered and drove in three runs for the Mariners, who have scored a total of 29 runs during a four-game winning streak that has followed a 10-0 defeat at Kansas City. Nelson Cruz returned to Seattle's lineup Saturday after being activated from the disabled list and went 1-for-5 with a run scored. The 37-year-old slugger, who homered in each of his first two games this year before going down with a sprained right ankle, is looking to reach the 40-homer plateau for the fourth time in five seasons after falling one blast shy of the mark least year. Khris Davis, Mark Canha and Stephen Piscotty each homered while combining for seven RBIs as the Athletics lost for the sixth time in eight games.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Sean Manaea (1-2, 1.74 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (2-1, 6.60)
Manaea has allowed a total of four runs and issued only two walks over 20 2/3 innings in his first three starts but has just one victory to show for his efforts. The 26-year-old native of Indiana recovered from serving up homers to the first two batters he faced on Tuesday but suffered the loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers despite those being the only two runs he yielded over five frames in his first turn on the road this year. Manaea has made seven career starts versus Seattle, going 3-3 with a 4.32 ERA.
Hernandez rebounded from a rough turn at San Francisco in his previous outing, allowing three runs over 5 2/3 innings in a victory at Kansas City on Tuesday. The 32-year-old Venezuelan has yet to last six frames in three outings this season and recorded only eight strikeouts over 15 frames. Hernandez has recorded 25 victories - his highest total versus any team - against only nine losses with three complete games and a 2.60 ERA in 46 career starts versus the Athletics.
WALK-OFFS
1. Davis has gone deep four times during his three-game homer streak.
2. Oakland activated Ryan Dull (shoulder) and placed fellow RHP Liam Hendriks (groin) on the 10-day disabled list.
3. Seattle optioned RHP Casey Lawrence to Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday to make room on the roster for Cruz.