Seattle (74-59) at Oakland (80-54)
When: Thursday, August 30th 2018
Where: Oakland Coliseum,
Oakland, California
Time: 10:05 ET | TV: ROOT Northwest,
NBCS California
Opening Odds: Oakland -120/8.5
The Seattle Mariners are hoping their recent success against the Oakland Athletics will be enough to keep them in the postseason race. This could be a pivotal weekend for the Mariners, who sit 5.5 games behind the A’s for the second AL Wild Card spot. Seattle has lost nine of 14 overall including three straight – two to the NL-worst San Diego Padres – and could be without their leading hitter Thursday. Jean Segura, who is hitting .317, had to exit Wednesday’s loss in San Diego after fouling a ball off his shin and is listed as day-to-day. Oakland had a chance to pull within a half-game of first-place Houston in the American League West but dropped two of three to the Astros including Wednesday’s 5-4 setback on a walk-off homer to drop 2.5 games off the pace. Athletics slugger Khris Davis is stuck in a 1-for-24 slump with 12 strikeouts over the past six games but he is 3-for-4 with a homer off Thursday starter Wade LeBlanc. Seattle is 7-5 versus the Athletics this year and has won 20 of the past 28 meetings at the Coliseum.
Pitchers: Mariners – Wade LeBlanc (7-3, 3.92 ERA) | Athletics – Frankie Montas (5-3, 3.75)
LeBlanc is coming off a solid outing at Arizona on Saturday, allowing one run on four hits over six innings, but came away with a no-decision. It was the lefty’s fourth quality start in seven appearances since the All-Star break. LeBlanc allowed three homers in a loss to the Los Angels Dodgers in his previous outing – the third three-homer game in a span of eight starts. He pitched four-innings of three-hit ball versus Oakland on May 3rd.
Frankie Montas will return from Triple-A Nashville to make his first big league start since July 29th, when he lasted just 4.1 innings and gave up three runs and eight hits in a loss at Colorado. He was hammered in three straight starts back in Nashville, allowing 16 runs over 14.2 innings, before tossing five innings of one-run ball on Saturday. The A’s are 7-3 in his 10 starts, including 5-0 at night.
The A’s seem to back Montas with a lot of run support, but they won’t need that much here tonight. The Mariners are really slumping and fading fast in the postseason race. Look for the A’s to jump on LeBlanc early and cruise to victory.
Pick: A’s -125
BETTING TRENDS:
- Mariners are 8-3 in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Mariners are 8-3 in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Mariners are 5-2 in their last 7 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.
- Mariners are 1-4 in their last 5 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Mariners are 10-1 in LeBlanc’s last 11 starts with 4 days of rest.
- Mariners are 21-7 in LeBlanc’s last 28 starts on grass.
- Mariners are 19-7 in LeBlanc’s last 26 starts.
- Mariners are 8-3 in LeBlanc’s last 11 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Mariners are 7-3 in LeBlanc’s last 10 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Mariners are 7-3 in LeBlanc’s last 10 starts vs. American League West.
- Mariners are 2-5 in LeBlanc’s last 7 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Athletics are 10-2 in their last 12 home games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Athletics are 7-2 in their last 9 Thursday games.
- Athletics are 21-6 in their last 27 home games.
- Athletics are 19-7 in their last 26 games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Athletics are 18-7 in their last 25 vs. American League West.
- Athletics are 46-18 in their last 64 overall.
- Athletics are 46-18 in their last 64 games on grass.
- Athletics are 5-2 in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Athletics are 5-2 in their last 7 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days.
- Athletics are 5-2 in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Athletics are 7-3 in Montas’ last 10 starts.
- Athletics are 7-3 in Montas’ last 10 starts on grass.
- Under is 5-1 in Mariners last 6 road games.
- Under is 5-1 in Mariners last 6 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Over is 5-1 in Mariners last 6 during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 4-1 in Mariners last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 4-1 in Mariners last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 5-0 in LeBlanc’s last 5 road starts.
- Under is 4-1 in LeBlanc’s last 5 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 4-1-1 in LeBlanc’s last 6 starts vs. American League West.
- Under is 6-2 in LeBlanc’s last 8 starts on grass.
- Under is 6-2 in LeBlanc’s last 8 starts overall.
- Under is 7-1-2 in Athletics last 10 home games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Under is 10-2-1 in Athletics last 13 games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Over is 4-1 in Athletics last 5 Thursday games.
- Over is 4-1 in Athletics last 5 during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 10-3-1 in Athletics last 14 home games.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Athletics last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Athletics last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Athletics last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 16-7-1 in Athletics last 24 overall.
- Under is 16-7-1 in Athletics last 24 on grass.
- Over is 7-2 in Montas’ last 9 starts on grass.
- Over is 7-2 in Montas’ last 9 starts overall.
- Under is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings.
- Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Oakland.
- Mariners are 20-8 in the last 28 meetings in Oakland.
- Mariners are 15-6 in the last 21 meetings.
