Oakland @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 6, 2014 ) Seattle 3, Oakland 6

Felix Hernandez goes after his third consecutive strong performance when the Seattle Mariners host the Oakland Athletics in Friday’s opener of a three-game series. Hernandez defeated Oakland last Saturday when he took a shutout into the ninth inning before being removed with two outs to go in a 3-1 victory. The solid effort continued his career-long success rate against Oakland as Hernandez is 16-7 with a 2.60 ERA in 30 career outings against the Athletics.

Oakland swept three games from the Minnesota Twins this week and is looking for its fifth straight victory. Tommy Milone makes his first start of the season for the Athletics after being skipped over when his scheduled start against the Mariners on April 4 was postponed due to poor field conditions in Oakland. The Athletics have demoted closer Jim Johnson (0-2, 18.90 ERA) and are using a closer-by-committee approach.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Tommy Milone (2013: 12-9, 4.14 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (2-0, 1.88)

Milone is making his first start of the season after winning 25 games over the last two seasons. His ERA last season was higher (4.14) than the previous campaign (3.74) but he held hitters to a lower average (.258 to .278) in 2013. Milone went 1-2 with a 4.34 ERA against Seattle last season and is 3-3 with a 3.28 in eight career starts.

Hernandez has struck out 19 and walked two in 14 1/3 innings through two starts. He has given up just three earned runs and 10 hits and he defeated the Los Angeles Angels in his first start before beating Oakland. Hernandez hasn’t pitched a complete game since late in the 2012 season, when he finished off a run of 16 over a three-season span.

WALK-OFFS

1. Oakland took two of three from Seattle in the recent series and limited the Mariners to three or fewer runs in each game.

2. 2B Robinson Cano is hitless in seven at-bats after beginning his Seattle tenure with a six-game hitting streak.

3. Athletics 1B Brandon Moss is batting .318 with a homer in 22 career at-bats against Hernandez but has also struck out eight times.

PREDICTION: Mariners 4, Athletics 3