Must keep winning, against the team they can’t beat this year
The Oakland A’s technically aren’t out of the 2021 postseason race yet, though their odds are effectively zero now. One reason for that low standing is that they’ve gone 4-12 against the Seattle Mariners this year.
They’ll get one final chance for the last laugh against the Mariners this week, with three games at T-Mobile Park. Seattle is one game above Oakland in the Wild Card race, so while their own odds are also low at under 10%, the A’s can spoil them the rest of the way by winning some games in this series.
However, in the opener Monday, the green-and-gold will have to do it without two of their key hitters. Josh Harrison exited Sunday’s game with what appeared to be a leg problem and is out of the lineup today, and Starling Marte is sitting with a sore left lat. They’ve been batting in the top two spots of the order lately, and super-sub Harrison was filling in defensively at shortstop for the injured Elvis Andrus.
Those absences on offense mean starting pitcher Cole Irvin will need to be extra sharp. He faced the Mariners in his last outing and went five frames with three runs scoring, including homers by Kyle Seager and Ty France. In four September appearances, the lefty has a 5.75 ERA in 20⅓ innings.
A’s lineup (away)
- 2B Tony Kemp (L)
- 3B Matt Chapman (R)
- 1B Matt Olson (L)
- LF Mark Canha (R)
- CF Seth Brown (L)
- RF Chad Pinder (R)
- DH Khris Davis (R)
- C Sean Murphy (R)
- SS Vimael Machin (L)
- LHP Cole Irvin
That’s Kemp leading off, Brown in center for only the third time this year (first time starting there), Pinder starting against a righty pitcher, and Machin making his first start since August.
Mariners lineup (home)
- SS J.P Crawford (L)
- 1B Ty France (R)
- RF Mitch Haniger (R)
- 3B Kyle Seager (L)
- DH Luis Torrens (R)
- 2B Abraham Toro (S)
- CF Jarred Kelenic (L)
- C Tom Murphy (R)
- LF Dylan Moore (R)
- RHP Chris Flexen
Let’s go Oakland!
How To Watch
- Date: Monday, September 27
- Time: 7:10 p.m. PT
- TV (local): NBC Sports California
- Radio: 960 AM (more listings here)
- Streaming (watch): NBCS website (with cable sub)
- Streaming (listen): A’s Cast