Athletics at Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are showing signs - especially with the bats - that their 16-year playoff drought could come to an end this fall as they host the Oakland Athletics for a three-game series beginning Tuesday. Seattle (16-11) has won seven of its last 10 games after taking three of four over the weekend in Cleveland, including 12-4 and 10-4 victories Saturday and Sunday.
"I'm really excited where this club is and where we're headed," Mariners manager Scott Servais told reporters. "We all thought we could do some big things offensively and we're in a nice groove now." Oakland (14-14) dropped two straight to Houston by a combined 19-4 on Saturday and Sunday after an 8-1 victory in the series opener Friday gave it five wins in six games. The Athletics' Andrew Triggs is coming off his longest outing of the season and opposes Felix Hernandez, who will try to return to his winning ways against Oakland on Tuesday. Seattle's ace lost to the Athletics 2-1 on April 15 in the finale of a three-game series in which the Mariners won the first two contests.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Andrew Triggs (2-0, 4.70 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (3-2, 4.96)
Triggs allowed one run, four hits and a walk while striking out six in six innings of a 3-2 victory at Texas on April 24. The 29-year-old Tennessee native bounced back from the shortest injury-free start of his career, when he yielded six runs over 1 1/3 innings of Oakland's 12-11 victory over the Chicago White Sox on April 18 after permitting five runs in his first three turns this season. Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano are each 3-for-5 with a combined three home runs against Triggs, who is 0-1 with a 7.13 ERA in four appearances (three starts) versus Seattle after allowing two runs in five innings and receiving a no-decision in the Athletics' 7-4 loss to the Mariners on April 13.
Hernandez allowed three runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out six in six innings of a 4-3 victory over the White Sox in Chicago on Wednesday. It was the 32-year-old Venezuelan's second quality start in six outings this season after yielding two runs and five hits with seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings against Oakland. Khris Davis is 1-for-16 with five strikeouts versus Hernandez, who is 25-10 with a 2.61 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 47 starts against the Athletics.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mariners 1B Ryon Healy recorded three home runs and six RBIs on Saturday and Sunday in his third and fourth games since missing 16 with an ankle injury.
2. Oakland 2B Jed Lowrie (.339, six home runs, 27 RBIs) broke his own club record with 35 hits in April and his 27 RBIs in the month match the franchise standard previously set by Reggie Jackson and Jason Giambi.
3. Seattle RF Mitch Haniger (.309, 10 home runs, 27 RBIs) finished a double shy of a cycle Sunday and his homer total was tied for the major league lead with the Angels' Mike Trout and the Yankees' Didi Gregorius entering Monday.