Mariners at Athletics
The Seattle Mariners have alternated wins and losses over the first seven contests of their nine-game road trip. They hope to break that trend on Saturday, when they visit the Oakland Athletics for the middle contest of their three-game series.
J.P. Crawford returned from a sprained ankle to go 2-for-5 with three RBIs while Omar Narvaez recorded three hits and drove in two runs with a homer while scoring three others in Friday's 9-2 triumph by the Mariners, who haven't won consecutive contests since sweeping a two-game home series against Oakland from May 13-14. Mallex Smith also went deep for Seattle on Friday as he extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Matt Chapman and Jurickson Profar both notched a pair of hits and scored a run for the Athletics, who have lost six in a row at home. Matt Olson drove in a run on Friday, giving him four RBIs in his last three contests and nine in his last eight, while Marcus Semien extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single.
TV: 9:07 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), NBCS California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Wade LeBlanc (3-2, 5.31 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Frankie Montas (8-2, 2.84)
LeBlanc is expected to follow an "opener" for the third straight time after making six traditional starts to begin the season. The 34-year-old Louisianian notched a road win against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday after giving up two runs and six hits in six innings. LeBlanc fell to 3-1 with a 3.82 ERA in eight career games (six starts) versus Oakland on May 24, when he yielded four runs and five hits over five frames.
Montas' unbeaten streak reached seven starts on Sunday as he recorded the victory at Texas after allowing three runs and seven hits in six innings. The 26-year-old Dominican has gone 4-0 with a 2.74 ERA in those outings after being tagged for seven runs - one earned - in 4 1/3 frames of a loss at Boston on April 29. Montas is 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA in one start and three relief appearances against Seattle in his career.
WALK-OFFS
1. Seven of the players in the Mariners' starting lineup on Friday scored a run while six registered at least one hit.
2. Oakland OF Stephen Piscotty missed the series opener and is expected to sit out a few more after having a melanoma skin cancer removed from his right ear on Thursday.
3. Seattle placed Brandon Brennan (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list, recalled fellow RHP Matt Festa from Triple-A Tacoma and optioned 2B Shed Long to the Rainiers while sending RHP Felix Hernandez to the club for a rehab assignment.