Oakland Athletics vs Seattle Mariners Picks and Predictions September 5th 2024

Thursday’s matchup between the Mariners and Athletics is set to get started at 3:37 PM ET from Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA. The money line odds have the Mariners as the favorite (-150), while the Athletics are the underdog at +126. The over/under line is currently 7.5 runs.

RSNW will be televising this game, and the Mariners are 2nd in the AL West with a record of 70-70. Oakland is 4th in the division at 61-79. Bryan Woo is starting for the Mariners, and he is facing off against Joey Estes for the Athletics.

Seattle is sending right-hander Bryan Woo to the mound today vs. the Athletics. He has made 17 starts this season and has a record of 6-2 with a 2.30 ERA. Opponents are batting .193 off Woo this season, and he has a BB/9 figure of 0.86 compared to 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Woo’s last outing came vs. the Angels, where he finished with a no-decision, going 6 1/3 innings and giving up four earned runs. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One of those wins was at home, where he is 4-0 with a 1.46 ERA.

With a team batting average of just .217, the Mariners are the worst hitting team in the league. They are also dead last in the league in strikeouts. However, they have been good at drawing walks this season and are 4th in the league in home runs. Overall, they are averaging just 4 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league.

Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena are the top home run hitters for the Mariners this season, but both are batting under .220. Raleigh’s 84 RBIs are 13th in the league, and he is on a three-game hitting streak. Julio Rodriguez is also on a good stretch right now, as he has a seven-game hitting streak going. Justin Turner has also been swinging a hot bat for the Mariners, as he is 6/16 in his last five games.

Right-hander Joey Estes gets the start for the Athletics today as he faces the Mariners at home. Estes has made 19 starts this season and has a record of 6-6 with an ERA of 4.29. One of his complete games and shutouts came this season. Estes has turned in seven quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he didn’t factor into the decision. In that start vs. the Rangers, he went six innings, giving up two earned runs, and had seven strikeouts. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Opponents are batting .236 off Estes this season.

One of the Athletics’ biggest strengths this season has been their home run power, as they are 5th in the league in homers. However, they have been towards the bottom of the league in terms of runs scored, averaging just 4.1 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .233, and their on-base percentage of .304 is also towards the bottom of the league.

Brent Rooker has been a bright spot for the Athletics this season, as he is batting .297 with a team-high 33 home runs and 94 RBIs. He is also on an eight-game hitting streak. Over his last eight games, Lawrence Butler has gone 15/34 with six homers and nine RBIs.

After a few tough offensive games, the Seattle Mariners exploded on Wednesday night, recording 16 hits in a dominant 16-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics. With the win, the Mariners now aim for a series split in the final game of their four-game set on Thursday in Oakland.

The Mariners (70-70) are now 5 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West and the AL Wild Card race. With their bats waking up just in time, Seattle will look to carry that momentum into Thursday’s game after struggling to score only 12 runs during a four-game losing streak.

Offensive Explosion Powers Mariners

Seattle’s offense came to life in Wednesday’s rout, with the bottom four hitters combining for 13 RBIs on 10-for-17 hitting, featuring a home run and six doubles. Luis Urias, batting eighth, led the charge with a 3-for-4 performance, including a homer and four RBIs. Mitch Garver, hitting seventh, also broke out of a slump, going 2-for-5 with four RBIs after struggling with a 2-for-26 slide over his last 10 games.

Contributions from Victor Robles (3-for-4, three RBIs) and Dylan Moore (2-for-4, two RBIs) rounded out the offensive onslaught from the lower part of the lineup. Mariners manager Dan Wilson praised the collective effort after the game, saying, “Offensively, we did a ton of great stuff up and down the lineup… These guys kept fighting, and this was the perfect way to break out.”

Luis Urias Finding His Groove After Triple-A Stint

One of the biggest standouts in Wednesday’s victory was Luis Urias, who recently returned to the Mariners after spending more than three months in Triple-A Tacoma. His performance showed how his time in the minors helped him regain his confidence.

“I was just trying to get my confidence back,” Urias said after his big night at the plate. “I wasn’t playing much when I was here, so when I went down to Tacoma, I focused on having fun again.”

Urias has quickly become a valuable contributor to the Mariners’ lineup, and his ability to deliver in key moments will be crucial as the team pushes for a strong finish to the season.

Athletics Look to Bounce Back After Blowout

The Oakland A’s (52-88) had won six of nine games before being overwhelmed by Seattle on Wednesday. Despite the heavy loss, A’s manager Mark Kotsay emphasized the importance of moving on quickly from the defeat.

One bright spot for the A’s has been the impressive play of right fielder Lawrence Butler, who doubled in the first inning to set a franchise record with an extra-base hit in nine straight games. During that streak, Butler has hit .436 (17-for-39) with seven home runs and five doubles. Kotsay praised the young outfielder, saying, “He’s already etched his name in the record books at a young age… It’s fun to watch, and he’s only getting better.”

Pitching Matchup: Joey Estes vs. Bryan Woo

The series finale will feature a promising pitching matchup. For Oakland, right-hander Joey Estes (6-6, 4.29 ERA) will take the mound. Estes has been particularly sharp against the Mariners this season, holding a 2-0 record with an outstanding 0.79 ERA in two starts. In his last outing against Seattle, Estes blanked the Mariners over 6 1/3 innings, but he’ll be looking to rebound from a tough MLB debut last September, when he allowed six runs (five earned) over 4 2/3 innings against Seattle.

Meanwhile, the Mariners will counter with right-hander Bryan Woo (6-2, 2.30 ERA), who has been dominant against Oakland throughout his young career. Woo has yet to allow a run in 21 1/3 innings pitched versus the A’s and has held them to just three hits and one walk while striking out nine over his last 10 1/3 innings this season. His dominance against Oakland makes him a strong candidate to help Seattle secure a split in the series.

Key Matchups and Series Outlook

As the Mariners and A’s prepare for the series finale, the focus will be on the continued production from Seattle’s lineup and the strong arms on the mound. For Seattle, players like Luis Urias and Mitch Garver will need to keep their bats hot, while Bryan Woo will aim to continue his success against Oakland.

The A’s, on the other hand, will look to Joey Estes to continue his dominance over Seattle, while hoping that Lawrence Butler can keep his extra-base hit streak alive and give the lineup a spark.

With momentum from Wednesday’s offensive explosion on their side, the Mariners are primed to even the series, but Oakland will be eager to bounce back and claim the series victory at home.

Our projections have this one as a low-scoring game, but with the line sitting at 7.5 runs, we are still leaning towards taking the over. As for who is going to take this one straight up, we are leaning towards the Athletics to come out on top. Oakland’s offense has the 4th best home run projection, and Joey Estes is 12th in our projections in starting pitcher strikeouts.