Mariners at Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are trying to keep the Houston Astros within shouting distance in the American League West and are starting to surge with wins in eight straight games. The Athletics will try to make it nine in a row and polish off a three-game sweep when they host the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.
Oakland is averaging 7.3 runs during the winning streak and scored six in each of the first two games against the Mariners with leadoff man Marcus Semien setting the tone with at least one run scored in six consecutive contests. Matt Chapman clubbed his 12th home run in Saturday's 6-5 triumph, tying Khris Davis for the team lead. The Mariners are trending in the opposite direction with losses in five straight and eight of the last nine games. Seattle will try to get things turned around when veteran right-hander Mike Leake, who has seen his season go the way of the rest of the team with a strong start followed by a long dry spell, goes up against Athletics lefty Brett Anderson.
TV: 4:07 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), NBCS California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Mike Leake (3-5, 4.73 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Brett Anderson (5-3, 4.14)
Leake is coming off one of his worst starts this season after getting knocked around for seven runs on 11 hits - three homers - in five innings at Texas on Monday. The 31-year-old won his first two starts of the season but is 1-5 while allowing opponents a .301 batting average over the last eight turns. Leake's lone win in that span came against Oakland on May 14, when he yielded three runs - one earned - and five hits over 6 2/3 innings.
Anderson left Monday's start at Cleveland with a neck strain after 5 1/3 innings but still earned the win while surrendering one run and five hits. The veteran Texan induced a season-high 13 ground balls in that outing and did not walk a batter. Anderson was not as strong at Seattle when he went up against Leake on May 14 and served up three homers among six hits across six frames to suffer the loss.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics CF Ramon Laureano doubled in each of the last five games, matching a team record.
2. Seattle 3B Kyle Seager (hand) made his season debut on Saturday and went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
3. Oakland designated veteran RHP Fernando Rodney for assignment on Saturday and called up LHP Wei-Chung Wang.