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Game Thread #10: Oakland A’s at Seattle Mariners

Aiming to win the 4-game road series

By Alex Hall
Los Angeles Angels v Oakland Athletics Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The Oakland A’s have a chance for their second four-game series win of the young 2020 season. After opening the summer with a 3-1 triumph at home over the Los Angeles Angels, they now find themselves up 2-1 on the road against the Seattle Mariners. Monday brings the finale, and an opportunity for another victory.

The A’s send their ace Frankie Montas to the mound, where he’ll make his third start of the year. The right-hander has been solid so far, but with room to grow up to the high standard he set in 2019 as he settles into his groove with more work. Seattle counters with Justus Sheffield, a lefty who ranked on national Top 50 prospect lists entering 2019. The 24-year-old is still developing, but clearly brings plenty of promise.

The question for the A’s is whether their bats will show up. So far they’ve mostly relied on three hot hitters, in Ramon Laureano, Mark Canha, and Robbie Grossman, with Grossman standing as a particularly pleasant surprise. That trio could continue to carry the load, but it would be even better if a few more of the star hitters in the lineup began to heat up. In nine games, they’ve scored more than three runs only twice, and they’re 3-4 when limited to three runs or fewer.

First pitch is 6:10 p.m., with the following options to watch or listen:

  • TV: NBC Sports California
  • Radio: 960 AM
  • Online audio stream: iHeartRadio

A’s lineup (away)

  1. SS Marcus Semien (R)
  2. CF Ramon Laureano (R)
  3. LF Mark Canha (R)
  4. 3B Matt Chapman (R)
  5. 1B Matt Olson (L)
  6. 2B Chad Pinder (R)
  7. DH Khris Davis (R)
  8. RF Stephen Piscotty (R)
  9. C Sean Murphy (R)
  • Frankie Montas, RHP

The hot Grossman takes the bench against the lefty starter, as the A’s stack their lineup with pure righty hitters. However, Canha joins Laureano in the upper-third of the order, which is exactly where the two hottest hands should be.

Mariners lineup (home)

  1. SS J.P. Crawford (L)
  2. 2B Shed Long (L)
  3. CF Kyle Lewis (R)
  4. 3B Kyle Seager (L)
  5. C Austin Nola (R)
  6. DH Daniel Vogelbach (L)
  7. 1B Evan White (R)
  8. LF Jose Marmolejos (L)
  9. RF Mallex Smith (L)
  • Justus Sheffield, LHP

Long moves up, and Nola gets a spot in heart of the order. This might be their maximum power lineup.

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