9:40 pm
September 22

Mariners @ Athletics

Who will WIN this matchup?

Seattle Mariners (82-69)

@ Oakland Athletics (82-69)

 

Starting Pitchers:

Flexen (SEA): 12-6; 3.66 ERA

Irvin (OAK) 10-13; 3.94 ERA

 

Current odds:

Seattle Mariners: (+120)

Oakland Athletics: (-140)

 

• J.P. Crawford won his first Gold Glove during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. If you ask anyone in the Seattle Mariners’ clubhouse, the shortstop deserves another. Crawford made a couple of sterling defensive plays and went 3-for-5 with a double, home run and two RBIs Tuesday night as the Mariners defeated the host Oakland Athletics 5-2.

• Seattle (82-69) has won the first two games of this four-game, high-stakes series to pull even with Oakland (82-69) for second place in the American League West, eight games behind the Houston Astros. More importantly, the Mariners — who clinched their first winning season since 2018 — are only three games back in the chase for the AL’s second and final wild-card berth with 11 games left. Their series with the A’s will continue Wednesday night in Oakland. After the Mariners scored three runs in the top of the fourth Tuesday to break a 1-1 tie, the A’s got one run back on a solo homer by Starling Marte and threatened for more in the bottom of the inning. With two on and two out, Crawford went up the middle to make a diving stop and scrambled to his feet to throw out Mark Canha by a full stride.

• Crawford added an insurance run with a solo homer with one out in the ninth inning, his ninth homer of the season. The Mariners’ leadoff hitter has career highs in all three main offensive categories this season, batting .269 with nine homers and 50 RBIs

• The A’s, who had won five in a row entering this series, have scored just two runs in each of the past two games. Their only other run Tuesday came in the first inning on a solo shot by Matt Olson, his career-high 37th homer of the season, one more than he hit in 2019.

• Mariners right-hander Chris Flexen (12-6, 3.66 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday against A’s lefty Cole Irvin (10-13, 3.94). Flexen is 1-2 with a 4.00 ERA in three starts against Oakland this season and lifetime, while Irvin is 0-3 with an 8.49 ERA in three starts against Seattle this year and career-wise, failing to make it through the fifth inning even once.

4/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Seattle Mariners
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