Game Thread #119: A’s vs. Mariners

Sean Manaea will take the mound tonight in Oakland to kick off a key series against the Seattle Mariners, who currently sit 1.5 game behind the A’s for the 2nd Wild Card spot.

If there’s ever a time to play the “every game matters” card, this would be it.

In his last outing, Manaea only went 2.2 innings, giving up 3 earned runs on 5 hits, walking 3. But before that, he threw 6 innings of 1-hit ball, allowing only 1 run. Those starts were preceded by a mixed of okay-to-poor outings.

The Mariners will send Marco Gonzales to the bump, having thrown seven innings of shut-out ball the last time he faced the A’s. To quote Dani on that outing: he did so “effectively using the tantalizing nature of his modest offerings to coerce the opposition into swinging at poor pitches and getting themselves out.”

So there you have it.

First pitch is at 7:05!