Sep 17, 2007, 15:10 GMT
- The Seattle Mariners still have an outside shot at a playoff spot and will pay a visit to the Oakland Athletics tonight in the first of three straight games at McAfee Coliseum.
Seattle is 6 1/2 games off the top spot in the AL wild card standings but has dropped two in a row following Sunday's 9-2 setback to Tampa Bay in the finale of a three-game series at Safeco Field.
Starter Jarrod Washburn yielded three runs over 4 1/3 innings and Adrian Beltre homered for the Mariners, whose current skid falls on the heels of a three-game winning streak.
Miguel Batista gets the nod for Seattle tonight and he is 13-11 with a 4.67 ERA in 30 games (29 starts) this season. Batista is winless in his last five trips to the hill (0-3) and did not factor in the outcome of a 6-5 win over Oakland on September 12.
The right-hander allowed three runs -- two earned -- in six innings against the Athletics at Safeco Field. Batista is 3-4 with a 5.71 earned run average over 17 career games (10 starts) against Oakland.
The A's salvaged the finale of a four-game series against the Texas Rangers with Sunday's 11-9 win at McAfee Coliseum.
Mark Ellis homered and Jack Hannahan finished 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Athletics, who had won five of six entering the game. Oakland starter Lenny DiNardo was sent to the showers after allowing five runs on two hits with four walks in only 1 2/3 innings.
Andrew Brown took the loss in relief, giving up two hits and four runs in just an inning of work.
All-Star Dan Haren will take the mound for the A's tonight and he is 14-7 with a 3.11 ERA in 31 starts this season. Haren is 0-3 in his previous four starts and did not factor in the outcome of a 6-5 loss to Seattle on September 12.
Haren yielded four runs and 12 hits in 6 2/3 innings against the Mariners in the Emerald City. He fell to 6-3 with a 2.97 earned run average through 11 career starts against Seattle.
The Mariners are 11-5 against Oakland this season, with a 5-1 record by the Bay.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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