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Game Thread #9: Oakland A’s at Seattle Mariners

Back in the winning groove! Keep it rolling?

By Alex Hall
Los Angeles Angels v Oakland Athletics Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The Oakland A’s snapped their three-game losing streak last night, finally finding a couple clutch hits after three frustrating days of wasted opportunities and stranded baserunners. The pitching also came through, with the first quality start of the season (by Mike Fiers) and four scoreless innings of shutdown relief. The result was a 3-2 victory in extras, giving us our second look at the new automatic-baserunner rule.

The two teams go at it again on Sunday for the third matchup in their four-game series. They’ve split so far, and whoever wins today will be guaranteed at least a split overall — and with the chance for a big series victory on Monday.

Sunday’s pitching slate features two hurlers who were acquired by Oakland during their post-2014 retooling. The A’s picked up Chris Bassitt in the Sharknado 2 deal with the White Sox, in exchange for Jeff Samardzija, and they got Kendall Graveman from the Blue Jays in the Josh Donaldson robbery (zero days).

Graveman went on to spend four seasons in green and gold, until he had Tommy John surgery in 2018 and was let go the next winter. He rehabbed with the Cubs last year and now he’s back on an MLB mound in Seattle, ready to take on his former teammates — although he did give up seven runs (six earned) in his season debut last Monday against the Astros.

First pitch is 1:10 p.m., with the following options to watch or listen:

  • TV: NBC Sports California (... but I don’t see it there on my own TV listing?)
  • Radio: 960 AM
  • Online audio stream: iHeartRadio

A’s lineup (away)

  1. SS Marcus Semien (R)
  2. CF Ramon Laureano (R)
  3. 1B Matt Olson (L)
  4. 3B Matt Chapman (R)
  5. RF Mark Canha (R)
  6. LF Robbie Grossman (S)
  7. DH Seth Brown (L)
  8. C Austin Allen (L)
  9. 2B Tony Kemp (L)
  • Chris Bassitt, RHP

This is about the leftiest lineup the A’s can put out. Only Vimael Machin remains on the bench, and all of his most viable positions are already taken by lefties or righty MVPs.

Mariners lineup (home)

  1. SS J.P. Crawford (L)
  2. 3B Dylan Moore (R)
  3. CF Kyle Lewis (R)
  4. DH Daniel Vogelbach (L)
  5. 1B Evan White (R)
  6. 2B Shed Long (L)
  7. LF Dee Gordon (L)
  8. RF Mallex Smith (L)
  9. C Joe Hudson (R)
  • Kendall Graveman, RHP

First looks at Smith and Hudson, while Seager gets the day off and Moore takes his place at the hot corner (after playing RF last night).

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