The Seattle Mariners are set to close a nine-day, 10-game road trip when they and the Oakland Athletics open a two-game set on Tuesday.
- Date: Tuesday, 8th August
- Time: 10:05 PM
- Venue: O.co Coliseum, Oakland
Online gambling odds for fans who bet on baseball:
Mariners -1½ (+135) 9 (-125) -116
Athletics +1½ (-155) 9 (+105) +106
Seattle Mariners (57-56)
Ariel Miranda (LHP, 7-5, 4.41 ERA, 103 K) is the only Seattle pitcher to make every start this season but he is 0-1 with a 6.51 ERA and has allowed nine home runs in his last five appearances out of a total of 27 homers in 126 2/3 innings this year. The Cuban is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two previous encounters with Oakland, and surrendered the A’s seven hits and four runs in three innings in a 4-3 loss on April 22nd. “I don’t think [workload]’s been an issue with [Miranda’s] stuff at all,” manager Scott Servais said. “It’s just location and bad spots and he does leave the ball up. The home run has been his Achilles’ heel. But he’s probably our best-conditioned pitcher. I haven’t seen anything to make me think we need to back off him at all.”
Fellow Cuban ballplayer Yonder Alonso is ready to debut with his new team against his former team after the Mariners acquired him from the Athletics in exchange for Boog Powell.
First look—@YonderalonsoU will wear #10 with the Mariners. pic.twitter.com/uCm9ZXxADC
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 8, 2017
Designated hitter Nelson Cruz has hit .647 (11-for-17) with two doubles and a homer versus Oakland starter Kendall Graveman. Cruz played in Sunday’s doubleheader after missing Friday’s game due to back spasms. Second baseman Robinson Cano has also fared well against Graveman (6-for-16 with three doubles and a homer), but shortstop Kyle Seager is 3-for-17 with a double while outfielder Leonys Martin is 1-for-15.
The M’s have won and covered in two thirds of their last nine games. The MLB betting total has gone over in four of their last six overall games as well as in their last six road games.
Oakland Athletics (50-62)
Graveman (RHP, 2-3, 4.96, 32 K) will be making his second start since coming back from the DL with shoulder problems. He allowed the Giants seven runs on eight hits in two innings in his first start back on Thursday. A far cry from when he held the Red Sox to two runs on six hits in six innings with five strikeouts and three walks.
Graveman’s ERA went from 3.83 in his first eight starts in April and May when he gave up eight hits and seven runs, to 4.96 in nine appearances. He’s 1-3 with a 4.82 ERA in eight career games (six starts) against Seattle, but will meet the M’s for the first time this season. “I was excited to be back out there, but of course that’s not the way you want to go your first one back,” he said. “But I can man up and say I’m going to get better.”
The A’s have won and covered in nine of their last 13 home games. The MLB betting total has gone over in six of their last eight games and over in four of their last six at home.