The Seattle Mariners are in Oakland this weekend for a three-game series against the Athletics. Seattle got off to a great start to the series, beating the Athletics in the series opener by a score of 9-2. Oakland will be looking to bounce back and even the series and also trying to stay close to the Houston Astros in the division race.
The Mariners got off to a roaring start this season and looked like a contender in the American League. Seattle has been bad since April and brings a 30-43 record into this game. The Athletics have been playing better of late and are sitting at 35-35 on the season. Oakland has some work to do if they plan to return to the playoffs this season. The Oakland A’s are -168 in game two of the series against the Seattle Mariners.
Montas Makes Start For Oakland
The Athletics will have a huge advantage in terms of starting pitching in this game as Frankie Montas makes the start on Saturday night. Montas has gone 8-2 this season with an impressive 2.84 earned run average. The youngster hasn’t lost a decision since the middle of April, and that trend should continue for him in this game. Oakland also has a terrific bullpen that is great at closing out games if given a lead.
Oakland might not have a ton of big-name players in their everyday lineup, but they can score some runs. Matt Chapman and Khris Davis provide most of the power for the A’s, but they have a deep lineup. Chapman leads the team with 16 home runs and 36 runs batted in, and Davis is right behind him with 15 bombs and 35 RBI. Oakland only scored two runs in the series opener, but they will bounce back in this game.
Mariners Looking For Consistent Offense
Speaking of offense, the Mariners looked like the best hitting team in the world through the first few weeks of the season. Finding consistent offense has been a problem for Seattle of late, but scoring nine runs on Friday night shows what they are capable of. Edwin Encarnacion is leading the team with 21 home runs and 49 runs batted in, but Daniel Vogelbach is the best story in Seattle. Vogelbach has blasted 17 homers this season and looks like a future star in the league.
Veteran lefthander Wade LeBlanc will be on the mound for Seattle on Saturday night. LeBlanc is well past his prime but is having a solid season for the Mariners. He brings a 3-2 record into this game but does have an ERA of 5.31. The Mariners have a struggling bullpen and will need a quality start from LeBlanc.
Oakland Wins on Saturday Night
The Seattle bats came alive in the series opener, but they face a red-hot pitcher in this game. Look for the A’s to get some offense in support of Montas and win game two of the series. Bet the Oakland Athletics -168 over the Seattle Mariners in this game.
