Mariners need another victory vs. visiting A’s
Seattle can’t quite control its own destiny with respect to reaching the playoffs. Yet Scott Servais’ crew won’t stop pushing for that first postseason berth in 15 years.
The Mariners and A’s meet again tonight, with a 10:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Safeco Field. According to oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv, the hosts are 1.5-run favorites. Oakland checks into the Pacific Northwest as a +170 underdog.
On Thursday, the M’s eked out a 3-2 victory. Closer Edwin Diaz surrendered three hits and a run before finally extricating himself from the jam. Unfortunately for the Seattle faithful, fellow wild-card hopefuls Baltimore and Toronto remain two games ahead.
That realization renders this evening’s matchup a must-win situation. Taijuan Walker seems up for the challenge, however, given his recent body of work. The righty boasts a 3-1 record since Sept. 8. Most recently, he fanned seven in a 4-3 triumph over Minnesota.
Meanwhile, Bob Melvin turns to Raul Alcantara. In four appearances this season, the Dominican Republic native holds a 1-2 mark with a 5.75 ERA. He has exhibited impressive command, though, never issuing more than a single walk in an outing.
MLB Quick Links: Scores & Matchups | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Betting Trends | ATS Stats
Asking the Mariners to keep up their remarkable September success seems fair at the moment. Yet they’re clearly running out of time, and Walker’s prone to clunkers on a fairly regular basis. This tilt has the potential to get nutty in a hurry.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: A’S/MARINERS OVER 8 RUNS