SEATTLE vs. OAKLAND 8/31/2018 MLB Odds, Pick & Preview

The Seattle Mariners proved early in their series-opening win against the Oakland Athletics that they’re not prepared to give up on a spot in the postseason. Seattle looks to draw even closer in the American League wild-card race on Friday as it visits AL West-rival Oakland for the second contest of their four-game set.

The Mariners scored five runs in the first inning en route to Thursday’s 7-1 victory, ending their three-game slide and pulling within 4 1/2 games of the Athletics for the second wild-card berth. Robinson Cano was one of four players on Seattle to register two hits and an RBI, with one of his hits being his 526th career double – tying him with Dave Parker for 44th place on the all-time list. Oakland was limited to four hits as it suffered its third loss in four contests and remained 2 1/2 games behind division-leading Houston. Jed Lowrie drove in the Athletics’ lone run Thursday with an eighth-inning single, giving him eight RBIs in his last 10 games.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), NBCS California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Mike Leake (8-8, 4.03 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Mike Fiers (10-6, 3.15)

Leake’s winless streak reached 10 starts on Sunday as he suffered a loss at Arizona after surrendering five runs and seven hits in six innings. The 30-year-old Californian has allowed three runs or fewer seven times and worked at least six frames on eight occasions during the drought while settling for six no-decisions since winning at Boston on June 23. Leake is 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA in six career starts against Oakland, including three no-decisions this season in which he has given up five runs – four earned – over 20 2/3 innings.

Fiers has been everything Oakland hoped for since being acquired from Detroit, posting a 3-0 record and 1.50 ERA with 28 strikeouts and three walks over 24 innings in four starts. The 33-year-old Floridian is coming off a victory at Minnesota on Saturday in which he allowed one run and five hits over 5 2/3 frames. Fiers is 2-1 with a 5.66 ERA in seven career turns versus Seattle after splitting a pair of starts this season, with the win coming at home on Aug. 14.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mariners SS Jean Segura was scratched from Thursday’s starting lineup a day after suffering a bruised left shin.

2. Oakland recalled J.B. Wendelken and Frankie Montas, who yielded seven runs – four earned – over six innings in the series opener, from Triple-A Nashville and optioned fellow RHP Ryan Dull and OF Nick Martini to the Sounds.

3. Seattle sent cash to Arizona on Thursday for 2B Kristopher Negron, who went 1-for-3 with an RBI in two games with the Diamondbacks this year, and assigned him to Triple-A Tacoma.

PREDICTION: Athletics 5, Mariners 1